Tears of Meridian
by Heyvid21
Summary: When Meridian faces its darkest hour, can her heroes arise in time to save her? The next saga in the WITCH comics. A tale of courage, heartbreak, joy, anguish, and love.
1. Prelude

**Tears of Merdian**

By: Heyvid21

**Disclaimer**: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. or any of its associated characters. Perhaps someday, I can come up with a world as creative as this one.

**Author's notes:** This is my first story submitted here to the Fanfiction forums, although I do have a slight hobby of writing. It follows strictly to the cannon of WITCH Comics. The setting is a few weeks after episode 46, following the defeat of Phobos. It do apologize if it seems to start off a bit slowly, but I am a firm believer in the fact that one should first set the stage before diving in.

CHAPTER 1

Prelude

Phobos continued to fall through clouds and nothingness. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept. One stuck in a perpetual freefall never really slept. It was impossible to simply lay down and escape the madness. The only relief came when he would pass out from exaustion, and even then, his dreams were plagued with thoughts of falling and the voices of his enemies mocking him.

Angrily, he remembered again the events that had sentanced him to this existance. Once he was a proud prince of a world that bowed to his wishes. His mighty magics kept all those who opposed them in their place. With a glance or a gesture, his court of whisperers would dispatch of anyone who did not please him. He had dreams and abitions. Why should he not be the one to rule the cosmos? If not he, then who else was worthy?

As his memories continued thoughts of his downfall crept into his mind. His sister, Elyon, had returned to Meridian. Aided my the guardians and the rebal leader, she had usurped his throne. This memory made his fists clench and his eyes burn with anger. Here in his hatred he found he could escape the madness of the nothingness rushing past all around him. Desperately, he searched for something to fuel his hatred. Quickly, he recalled his second ascention to power. Even more powerful than before, he had managed to steal the body of one of his would-be captors and had ascended to the the postition of the Oracle of Kandracar. Here, again, he had almost attained his goal. Almost he had been able to be the rule of the cosmos. But also once again the Guardians and his sister had challenged and stopped him.

With these memories, his hatred came to a boiling point. How could he the prince of Meridian, the Oracle of Kandracar, be doomed to eventually die here like this? Stripped of all he once ruled over, here he there was nothing. Nothing he could rule or subjugate. Nothing on which to excercise his power. No, it couldn't be. He would not let it end this way. There _must_ be a way to escape.

Then he noticed something. Something amid all this nothingness of clouds and air. With his rage and anger still burning in his heart he focused on this something as it gradually began to grow. With a start, he realized that he was in fact peering through a small window that seemed the be torn into the air in front of him. With a flash of hope he realized he was looking into the world of Meridian, but as suddenly as his hope had washed away his feelings of hatred the window vanished.

"No!" croaked the shout from his dried lips. His freedom had been so close at hand!

Gradually he began to relax again. This time a smile crept to his face. He had managed to open a portal to Merdian fueled by nothing other than his own hatred. Soon his his smile grew into a full fledged laugh. His diabolical laugh filled the nothingness around him. Yes, soon those that had opposed him would pay dearly for their indescretion.

"I'm coming," he laughed into the wind.

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"I'M COMING," Wic moaned into his pillow.

He heard his mother calling from the foot of the stairs again, "You're alarm went off ten minutes ago. You're going to be late again."

Gradually, Wic Wislow managed to drag his bare feet over the edge of his bed and place them on the cool wooden floor. He hated this part of the day more than anything else. As he groggily pulled on some clothes and stumbled toward the bathroom he briefly wondered why he couldnt be more of a morning person instead of the night owl he was. A furtive grin tugged at the corners of his mouth, then again, if he was a morning person he wouldn't have the fun that came with staying up late.

The grin on Wic's face vanished as he looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. He let out a brief sigh as he tried to tame the mess of sandy-blonde locks atop his head. His mother had been hinting that Wic should cut his hair soon, but he usually just shrugged it off. He liked his hair as it was, usually slightly messy and just long enough to fall into his eyes now and again. He almost felt like he could hide behind it when he wanted to, the locks giving him a sense of security.

Another look in the mirror showed that the tangled mess was now more under control. Wic took a long hard look at the person looking back at him from the mirror. The deep blue eyes stared back into his. Wic didn't consider himself attractive, but at the same time he didn't think himself ugly either. On the other hand, who was he to judge these things? He doubted whether anyone was ever truly happy with the way they saw themselves.

Finally, as if satisfied, he took the pendant that dangled from his neck and tucked it under his shirt. The pendant might seem a strange thing for a boy to wear, but there was nothing that Wic treasured more. It was a small crystal, no bigger than his thumnail clasped to the chain it hung from by two miniature, clawed hands. One hand was a pure silver, while the other was a shade of the darkest black. The crystal itself, Wic often thought, resembled a tear.

His mother never told him how he came to have it. He remembered asking her about it a few times when he was younger. Her face had grown happy and sad at the same time as she explained that it was a very precious gift, and that his father, when he was alive, had paid a high price in order that Wic could have it.

His mom often got very sad when they spoke of his father. Wic had never really known him. His mother explained that he died in an accident when Wic was still very little. He thought it strange that there were never any pictures of his father, but he didn't like to see his mom sad, so he rarely brought up the subject.

After he finished in the bathroom he ran down the stairs headed to the kitchen. _Ack, no time for that_, he though as he passed the clock hanging over the stairs. It was already later than he thought it was. He raced into the kitchen and grabbed a piece of toast out of the toaster on his way to grab his backpack against the wall.

"No time for breakfast, Mom," he said around the mouthful of toast, "I'm going to have to run to make it on time."

"If you got up when your alarm went off you wouldn't have to be in such a hurry," she chided lovingly as she kissed him on the cheek, "Have fun with your friends today."

_Friends_, Wic thought briefly. It wasn' that he didn't have friends. He knew several people he could talk to and hang out with at school, but he was still very much of a loner. Matt, the person he considered to be closest to, now had a girlfriend and time spent with Wic was much less frequent. Once again, Wic felt somehow that it wasn't here in Hetherfield that he belonged. Strangely, his heart yearned for something more.

As usual, he shrugged off the feeling as he left the small home behind him. As long as he could remember he had lived here in Hetherfield with his mother. Although he knew that she had not lived in this town her whole life, she never really talked about where they had been before moving here. If Wic ever asked, she would simply smile, give an evasive answer and subtley change the subject. It didn't bother Wic, but it often piqued his curiosity and he wondered what they didn't want him to know. But that, like his pendant remained a mystery.

He was shaken from his thoughts as he saw a group of girls join the sidewalk a few feet in front of him. Wic recognized them as his schoolmates from Sheffield Institute. Will Vandom, Irma Lair, Taranee Cook, Cornelia Hale, and Hay Lin, better known as the inseperable five, were talking happily to one another as they walked. Their words drifted back to Wic as he followed.

"But it's her birthday," Cornelia was saying in a slightly imperial voice, "we have to go see her."

"Oh right," retorted Irma, "We'll just dissapear for an evening to celebrate the birthday of someone who isn't even supposed to exist anymore. That'll go over great when we get back."

"Knock it off, Irma," Cornelia replied. Wic could tell that her quick temper was beginning to rise, "You know you want to see her too."

"I do too," Hay Lin interjected, "Will, we could go just for the evening. We could even use the Breath of Time."

_The Breath of Time?_ Wic thought, wondering what they could be talking about.

Will Vandom paused before replying, "You're right. We all want to see her, but lets not use the Breath unless we have to. Try to come up with an excuse for going out tonite."

"Oh thank you, Will," Cornelia said happily, "Then it's settled we leave for Meridian after school."

_Meridian._ Wic stopped dead in his tracks as he heard the word. Why did he feel like it meant something to him? Something inside of him leaped up at the mention of that single word, like it was crying out in answer to it. For an instant the restlessness inside of him seemed to calm itself, almost as if the place that the girls spoke of was what fueled it.

_Meridian...Meridian._ He said the name over and over again in his mind. The more he thought of it, the more something within him seemed to answer that call. What did it mean?

He was jarred from his thoughts as a rough arm threw itself his neck while another hand ruffled his hair. Wic looked up to see his friend Matt Olsen smiling at him.

"Wow," Matt laughed, "You didn't even hear me coming. Usually you can spot me sneaking up on you a mile away," Matt stopped and looked at Wic more intently, "Are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost."

Wic managed to nod his head as he recovered from the initial shock, "Yeah, usually I can smell you from a mile away," he joked, "What happened? Did you decide to take a shower today?"

Matt laughed, "Quick wit as always. Come on, I don't think I've introduced you to Will and the others yet."

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The Oracle's eyes flittered open. Something had stirred him from his meditation, and instinctively he knew something was amiss. His meditation with the elements was usually his first hints of warning when some form of wickedness was about to disrupt the the delicate balance of the universe. Breathing deeply he called out to them. The powers of wind, earth, water, and fire were on every world of the universe, and they answered his call. Though he had no direct control over these elements, he could commune with them.

_What is it?_ He asked. _What troubles the cosmos?_

For a moment he was confused, for the answer did not come from the elements themselves. It came from a different voice. A voice he had not heard for ages. A voice he had hoped he would not have to hear ever again. Yet now, it spoke to him.

The Oracle's eyes opened wide in surprise and perhaps something else. Perhaps fear.


	2. Horizons

CHAPTER 2

Will Vandom turned as she heard the familiar shout from behind her, and her heart started beating faster as her eyes confirmed who she thought it was. Matt caught up to the group of girls and immediately enveloped Will in a tight hug.

"I was kind of hoping I'd be able to meet up with you," he said to her and for what must have been for the hundreth time now her face reddened. She smiled back at him and noticed that he was not alone.

"Ah," Matt said following her gaze, "This is by bud, Wic. He's in my year so I'm not sure if you've been properly introduced yet."

"Wow," Will heard Irma mutter to Hay Lin, "he's not too shabby at all." Stepping forward, Irma extended her hand to Wic, "Hi," she said more loudly this time, "My name's Irma; and this is Will, Hay Lin, Taranee, and the blonde who thinks she's a princess is named Cornelia."

"Very funny, Irma," Cornelia snapped, but she smiled politely at Wic. Inwardly, she agreed with Irma. This Wic wasn't too shabby at all. Not that she cared of course, but she wondered how she hadn't met him before.

"Nice to meet you all," Wic said after shaking Irma's hand, "I've seen you around the school before."

Will tucked a red lock of hair behind her ear as they continued to walk towards school again. She was happy to walk beside Matt. Life always seemed a bit brighter when he was around, and since they had defeated Phobos and Cedric things had been quiet in Hetherfield. No summons had come from Kandrakar and the Heart remained silent. The relaxing break was nice for a change of pace.

"So I was thinking we could get together after school," Matt began saying and immediately she felt bad.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Matt, but we have plans for after school. It's Elyon's Birthday," she said without thinking, "We were going to celebrate."

Will didn't realize what she had said wrong when she saw Taranee give her a sharp look until she remembered that they were not alone.

"Elyon?" Wic inquired, "You mean Elyon Brown?"

Will cursed her carelessness, but luckily Hay Lin quickly spoke up, "Yeah," the small girl began, "Ever since she disappeared, we decided that we would celebrate her birthday in memory of her. Right, girls?" She looked around the group for support.

"Of course," Irma blurted out, "It's a sort of oriental custom Hay Hey here came up with," the girls all laughed nervously.

Will could tell that Wic was still suspicious, but he nodded anyways, "It's sad what happened," he said absently, "I always kinda of liked Elyon. Not romantically," he hurriedly added flushing slightly, "but, you know, she seemed like a nice girl. I wonder what ever happened to her."

There wasn't much time for a reply because they reached the gates in front of Sheffield just as the first bell rang.

Wic groaned, "I have to run," he said to Matt and the girls, "If I'm late again, the teach will have my head."

"Yes, yes," Irma said as they watched him run off, "he is rather cute isn't he?"

Matt laughed, "If you say so. Can't say that I've ever noticed. So are you all really going to see Elyon?" He directed the question at Will as the other girls drifted off towards their classes.

"After school," she replied, "We'll tell her you said hi."

"I wish I come along." he said with a sigh, "but you girls have fun. I'll be here waiting when you get back, as always."

With this, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her towards him. She stood on her toes to meet his kiss wishing moments like this could last forever.

"MISS VANDOM, MISTER OLSEN," came the sharp call startling both of them, "Get to your classes at once! You are five minutes late already!"

The pair of them fled from Principal Knickerbocker, and headed straight to their classes.

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Phobos looked around and was impressed in spite of himself. He had grown powerful, more powerful than he had initially realized. He still retained much of the power that the council of Kandrakar had given him when he had become Oracle. Although, he had never been given all of the Oracle's powers he still felt it flowing within him. On top of that his hatred had amplified his power to a level that he was just now beginning to understand. The fact that he could open a portal from Kandrakar to Meridian was proof of that.

But it wasn't enough. He knew, that if he wished to truly fulfill his goals of dominion he would need a power that would crush the combined might of the guardians and the considerable strength of his dear sister, the Light of Meridian. Inwardly he scoffed at her title, but it sparked a memory within him. Something that he had heard long ago, when he had first siezed the throne of Meridian. His sister truly was the Light of Meridian. When she was just an infant, those treacherous officers had stolen her away to Earth before Phobos could dispose of her. Even though they had succeeded in saving her from him, in the absence of the Light, darkness quickly spread across the face of Meridian.

Phobos had relished in that darkness. It fueled the evil in his minions, and even though at the time Phobos had drawn his power by draining the life of Meridian itself, he had often wished he could tap into that darkness and control it. At the time that had been impossible because that darkness had been so widespread across Meridian, but now, he wondered. With the return of Elyon, the darkness had fled from her. It hid in the deep places of Meridian, concentrated.

If he could could find that darkness and somehow harness it, bend it to his will, then he would become more powerful than even the Oracle. And he knew just where to look. He would have to go to the point in Meridian that was farthest away from the royal palace. There, at the point where the darkness could hide from the Light, Phobos would find his power.

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The Light of Meridian stood alone on a palace balcony over looking the city below. In the morning sun the city seemed so peaceful even though it teemed with life. The usual street vendors lined the roads trying to offer their wares to any passer-by, squires ran errands for their teachers, and the city guard marched steadfastly on their patrols. But on top of all this there was an extra sense of excitement in the air, for today was the Queen's birthday. A splendid feast was going to be held in the palace, and a great festival would be held long into the night.

It seemed as if the whole city buzzed with preperations. Not long ago the people of Merdian had little cause to celebrate anything. Under the rule of the tyrant, Phobos, any public gathering would often be met with bloodshed. But now that had changed, for the Light of Merdian was on the throne and her people loved her. This night would indeed be one to remember.

They why, Elyon thought as she lifted her eyes to gaze to the horizon, did this sense of forboding grow within her. She noticed that even though the it was a warm, sunny morning, dark clouds gathered far off on the the horizon. She shivered slightly as she watched the storm growing hundreds of miles away, and she felt very much alone as she often did in this world over which she ruled.

"You can't be cold, my Queen, it's shaping up to be a beautiful day," she heard the friendly voice behind her, and a smile crept to her lips.

"No," she said turning around to face the tall, brown haired boy, "I was just thinking."

"I hope they were happy thoughts," Caleb said as he walked up to look at the view below the balcony, "Today is a very special day."

Elyon again smiled and playfully pushed on Caleb's shoulder, "My birthday isn't really that special."

Now Caleb turned to face her, "But it is," he said with a very serious look, "you dont understand what this celebration means to those people down there. Not only is this a celebration of you're birthday, but it is a celebration of the peace and prosparity you have brought to all of Meridian," Caleb paused a little surprised at the passion in his own voice, "Sometimes I think you don't know just how much you mean to your people. How much you mean to me."

Caleb turned back to look out across the city again, and Elyon wondered what he meant by that last statement. Was he just affirming his deep friendship for her, or was he hinting at a little something more? His face didn't show anything different, however, so she decided to ignore it.

"Thank you," she said, "but you know it wasn't just me. I could not have claimed the the throne without you or the guardians' help, and if it wasn't for them I may have never escaped the Tower of Mists on Kandrakar," she stopped and again watched the far off storm, "Sometimes I feel I am not stong enough to be Queen."

"You will find your strength," Caleb said placing his hand over hers as it rested on the balcony's railing, "and until then and for as long as I live you can count on my sword to be there for you."

Elyon smiled already feeling more confident. Caleb certainly had the gift to encourage armies with his words, but sometimes she wished he could be a little more warm with those words. She understood what he meant by his "sword" being there for her, but still it would have meant much more if he could have simply said the _he_ would be there for her.

"Excuse me, Queen Elyon, Captain Caleb," the two heard Elyon's maid in waiting join them, "but we need your opinion on the decoration placement for the feast."

"Of course," Elyon said leaving the balcony behind her.

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Wic let out a sigh. It felt good to finally be out of school on a Friday evening. The whole weekend now lay before him. To be honest he found it hard to concentrate on anything all day. The conversation he had accidentally overheard still ran through his mind. Even when the girls had invited him to join their lunch table today he couldn't get that word out of his head. _Meridian._ The word felt so familiar to him, like he should know what it meant, but he was too shy to ask the girls about it fearing that they would think he had eavesdropped.

But there was something else bothing him as well. He knew he had heard the girls talking about going to see someone for a birthday, but when he had asked them about Elyon they quickly made up that transparent excuse. One thing Wic prided himself on was the fact that seemed to have gift for reading people. Lies seemed transparent, and excuses were shallow. He felt sure that they were lying to him, but why?

Could the girls somehow know where Elyon Brown was? The idea intrigued him, for, like he had mentioned to them, he had always liked Elyon. Not in any romantic way, but somehow he felt connected to her in a way that was hard to describe. He realized, with a start, that it was almost the same way he felt about the word 'Meridian.'

The realization that the two were connected hit him like a ton of bricks. Wic wondered how he had not realized it before. They were talking about going to see Elyon and they were going to Meridian. If only he knew what that meant.

"Mr. Wislow," called a naturally sharp voice bringing him back to the present. He looked up to see Principal Knickerbocker stalking towards him.

"Uh...Principal Knickerbocker," Wic began trying to come up with an excuse for not paying attention, "Wait, school's out for the day. You can't get me in trouble."

"And just what might you be up to that warrants you getting into trouble, young man?" she said raising her eyebrows so high that Wic thought they might disappear into her hair line, "Oh, never mind that. Miss Vandom has once again left her Physics book on her desk, and if she doesn't study this weekend she might as well not come to class anymore."

Confused, Wic asked, "What does that have to do with me?"

"Don't act foolish, boy. I saw you sitting at her lunch table today. You're friends with her, are you not?"

"I guess so," Wic replied as he realized that it was true.

"I want you to take this book to her," the dumpy Principal said handing him a large textbook, "I overheard them saying that they were going to stop by Professor Rudolf's house to see her niece, I assume. Do you know where that is?"

Wic nodded as he went over everything in his head. This would give him the chance to follow the girls and perhaps gain more clues as to what was happening to him. Quickly, he made up his mind and ran from the Sheffield Institute in an attempt to catch the girls before they left Professor Rudolf's old house.

He ran as quickly as he could down the streets dodging cars and people alike. Wic often ran for fun. Even though he tended to be a late sleeper, when he woke up on the weekends he could run for miles. It made him feel healthy and free, and for someone who often felt like they were chained down somewhere they didn't belong, it was one of the best feelings in the world.

_Faster_. He thought as he started down the last block that would lead to his destination. _ I need to go faster_. If he didn't arrive in time, he doubted wether he would be able to see the girls again until monday. He willed his legs to move faster, and to his surprise he felt a faint sense of heat against his chest. Before he had time to realize what was happening he found that he was suddenly in front of Professor Rudolf's old house. He looked up in time to see the group of five girls just as they went inside.

_How is this possible?_ Wic wondered in stark amazement. It had taken him a matter of seconds to run that entire block. He absently rubbed the spot where he had felt the heat agaisnt his chest, and to his surprise his fingers felt the small bulge of his pendant under his shirt. He slowly pulled out the small tear-shaped crystal and thought he saw a faint glow where it was normally clear. _Just a trick of the light,_ he tried to convince himself.

Just then a flash of light caught his eyes and he looked just as it faded from the window of Professor Rudolf's house. His burst of speed momentarily forgotten he walked up to the door, intent on finding more clues as to what was going on. He raised his hand to knock and waited with bated breath, going over what he was going to say. To his slight surprise it wasn't one of the girls who opened the door. It was Matt.

"Wic," Matt said looking surprised himself, "what are you doing here?"

"Um," Wic began trying to gather his thoughts, "Will left her book in class." He held up the book for Matt to see.

"What made you think she'd be here?" Matt looked over his shoulder a little nervously.

"Principal Knickerbocker said she'd be here," Wic replied starting wonder why Matt was acting so suspicious.

"Who is it, Matt?" another voice called from within the house. After a moment the speaker appeared. She was a tall girl with short, dark hair, and she smiled at Wic standing in the door. She looked to be about college aged.

"This is my friend, Wic," Matt answered, "He's here to give Will her textbook."

"Nice to meet you," said the girl, "My name is Rebecca. I'm Professor Rudolf's niece, but I'm sorry to say that Will and the girls aren't here at the moment."

"But," Wic said with surprise, "I just saw them come in a second ago."

Matt and Rebecca exchanged an alarmed look. "They just left out the back door," Matt mumbled, "They were just dropping something off before leaving."

"You're welcome to come in for a bit if you want," Rebecca said and smiled again, "And I can take the book and give it to Will. She said she'd stop by again before the night is over."

"I better not," Wic said handing her the book, "I need to get home before my mom starts to worry."

"See you later then, Wic," Matt called as the shorter boy turned and started heading towards the street.

"Yeah," Wic muttered as his frustration began to rise, "Right." Why was Matt acting this way? Once again he sensed that he was being lied to. He was probably Wic's best friend and he was hiding something from him. He we was sure of it. His mind reeled with the events of the day. First Meridian, then Elyon, then that moment where he had run faster than should have been possible, then the flash of light in the window, and now Matt seemed to be in on it too.

Wrapped up in his thoughts he was a little surprised when he realized that he was already almost home. Everything that had happened today started with that single word, Meridian. Desperately, he wished to know what it meant. He _needed_ to know. As he walked up the path to his house he made up his mind. He would simply have to ask the girls what it meant.

When he walked into his house, he found his mom in the kitchen watering one of the plants on the window. "Hi, honey," she said over her shoulder, "How was school today?" Wic mearly grunted in reply as he was still thinking about how he might bring the subject up to the girls. "What's wrong?" His mom asked turning to face him.

"Meridian," Wic answered absently.

He jumped when he heard the pitcher his mother had been holding crash to the floor, its contents spreading in all directions. "What did you say?" his mother asked, her eyes wide and face drained of color.

**Author's Notes: **The stage is set and the characters are in place. Now the real story can begin :P. I realize this was a fast update, but I really wanted to get the setting down in the first weekend of the debut. Hope you enjoy it.


	3. Awakening

Chapter 3

The five guardians materialized in the heart of infinity if flash of light and color. The mighty fortress probably would have awed any other traveler, but these visitors had long ago grown accustomed to the white marble floors, the grand pillars and arches, and the magnificant carvings on the walls; each one depicting a piece of the long history of Kandrakar. A place of serenity and peace, the fortress stood for all that the guardians labored to protect. It was almost as if it was cradled in the pink and blue clouds that swirled around on all sides.

The guardians had recently learned not to take the peace and tranquility for granted. This had all been a hair's breadth away from falling into the evil hands of a powerful tyrant just weeks earlier. Phobos' ambitions had almost siezed the infinite deminsions in his power hungry grasp.

All of this was in the past though. Now the guardians had come here for a much more enjoyable mission. A friend, whom already it had been too long since they'd seen, was turning a year older. Kandrakar was just the necessary pit-stop on the way to Meridian. Since the Veil had been taken down, portals between Earth and the world on which Elyon lived no longer existed.

The girls looked around the empty hall where they had arrived. "Wow, no welcoming committee this time," Irma remarked.

"Well," Will replied, "it's not like they knew we were coming."

"Yeah," Taranee agreed looking around, "I can't remember the last time we came here without a summon."

"Grandma!" Hay Lin shouted as the small form came around a corner.

"Hey there, Alien," the elderly women dressed in a simple white robe replied, and her wrikled lips spread in a wide smile, "What brings the heros of Kandrakar here today?"

"We were just on our way through to Meridian," replied the energitic grandaughter, "but I was hoping I'd get the chance to see you."

"Where is everybody?" Cornelia asked, again looking around the empty halls.

Yan Lin paused before answering, "There is trouble once again in Kandrakar. The Oracle and most of the council are busy trying to get it all sorted."

Irma groaned, "Oh, great. We barely get a few weeks off and now some new big, bad is ready to go."

Yan Lin laughed at the slightly cheeky remark, "Do not worry, guardians, perhaps it is nothing. For now, all you must do is enjoy your time on Meridian."

After bidding them farwell, the elderly, yet strong, woman turned and headed back towards the meeting hall. Before she got there she was met by the Oracle and Endarno.

"Can it be any coincidence that they are going to Meridian at a time such as this?" Endarno asked his two companions.

"I have found that there is no such thing as coincidence when it involves those girls and their friends," the Oracle replied, "Come, we must prepare for what is to come. I fear the villian is about to reveal himself, and when he does so will the other."

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Elyon smiled happily at the events going on around her. The feast had begun, and she thought the palace had never before looked so beautiful. So many people filled the banquet hall, so many friends, faces she recognized. There at table to her left sat Vathek with a number of the royal guard. To her right, through the throng of bodies, she could see Nagadir talking happily with a few of the other palace maids. At her table she sat with her adoptive mother and father, both of whom were leaders in the army, and Caleb, who was probably her closest companion out of the lot.

Yet, still, it would have been nice to see five more faces in the mix. She wondered if her friends from Earth even remembered that it was her birthday today. It seemed the only time she ever got to see them was when some crisis was threatening the seperate worlds they lived on.

"Your Majesty," a quiet voice beckoned at her shoulder, "there is an urgent message for you in the garden."

_The garden?_ It was a strange place for a messenger to request a meeting. Then again, she mused, the grand hall was no place of privacy at the moment.

Elyon pushed her large chair out from the table and followed the young man who had brought her the message. All along the corridors were strung the decorations for the day. They consisted of large amounts of colorful streamers, and an even larger amount of candles. When night fell these candles would all be magically set alight at the same time. Symbolizing the moment when the Crown of Light had been reunited with its rightful bearer, and Phobos' reign of terror had ended.

As Elyon exited the palace the cool evening air greeted her. This was shaping up to be a perfect night for the partying that would ensue after the main feast. The sense of forboding that had troubled her thoughts earlier was almost entirly gone. Yet, it still lurked at the back of here mind, and her eyes flittered towards the horizon again. Even in the waning light, she imagined she could still see the tempest brewing. And it frightened her. She had always disliked storms. It was some irrational fear that had stayed with her since she was a little girl, and something about this one made her nervous.

"Well, well, your _majesty," _came a familiar voice from her side. Scarcely believing her ears, the young queen turned to see the five smiling faces bursting with excitement.

"I dont believe it!" Elyon exclaimed her own face breaking into a smile, "You came! You remembered!"

"Of course we did, silly," Cornelia said stepping forward to give her friend a hug. The two girls had been best friends for as long as Elyon could remember, and now her presence along with her other friends brought tears to her eyes. The other girls now stepped forward and enveloped her in a large, tearful hug.

"It seems like its been forever since we last saw you," Hay Lin said once they had parted, "but its actually been our shortest time apart so far."

"Any time at all away from you all is too long," Elyon said wiping the joyful tears from her eyes.

"Yes, I agree," Irma said looking around, "but we can catch up over dinner. I'm _starving._"

Elyon laughed, "Well for once, I think even you will be able to eat your fill. I bet you've never seen so much food in your life!"

The six girls walked back to the palace already talking about things the way only girls can. They talked about Earth and the boys there, they talked about memories both old and recent, and they talked about the present, the way things had changed. Each had something to say, and the friends simply picked up were they had left off from their last visit.

As they entered the banquet hall the clamor of plates and conversation seemed to slow and then almost stop all together. The girls looked up to see all eyes up them.

"Uh, oh," Irma muttered nudging Taranee in the ribs, "are we in trouble?"

"Three cheers for the Light of Meridian and the Guardians of Kandrakar!" came the shout from somewhere amid the crowd, and the entire banquet hall exploded in a thunderous round of applause and cheers.

"Ah, what did I tell you," Irma again said to Taranee, "They love us. And look at all the food!"

The party talked happily to one another as the night progressed. The guardians were glad to see Caleb again as well, and much laughter and smiles went around the table of friends. Somewhere through the feast, Vathek approached the tabled and another round of hugs ensued. Will thought she might have glimpsed happy tears in the eyes of the blue giant as he greeted his old friends.

Food and drink was plentiful, and the guardians indulged themselves in a small taste of the exquisite Meridian wine. Even Taranee managed to take a sip.

"I'm stuffed!" Irma exclaimed after a third round of desserts came out, "I dont think I could eat another bite."

"Well, I think that's the first time I've heard you that," Will teased playfully poking her friend.

The evening had gone quickly in the presence of friends, and already most of the occupants of the banquet hall were moving outside where the real festival was about to begin.

"Come on," Caleb goaded, "Lets go outside. It's about time for the big event to start."

"I'll meet you there," Elyon said as she headed towards the stairs to a higher level of the palace.

"Where's she going?" Cornelia asked Caleb.

"You'll see," he replied, "Let's go."

The guardians and the ex-rebel left the banquet hall and found themselves in the garden again. All around them, the air seemed to be buzzing with anticipation. The city below the palace was strangely quiet as if waiting for a queue to begin. Over head the stars shone brightly, and the perfect half-moon shone from behind the spires of the palace, illuminating it in stark contrast to the countryside surrounding it.

A cool breeze washed over the small group, and Hay Lin quivered with excitement, "Something's about to happen," she said to the others, "even the wind can feel it."

Then they saw her on a balcony overlooking the entire city. She stood there in the moonlight with the Crown of Light glowing atop her heard. Under her crown, her her sandy, blonde locks fell loosely around her shoulders, and her light blue eyes seemed to sparkle even from the distance. Her friends gasped. Although she wore no fancy jewelry or make-up, to them, she had never looked so beautiful.

"My people," the young queen began to speak. Her voice magically amplified, "I am honored and humbled at the support you have shown me on this special day."

A cheer rose up from the city below, but quieted just as quickly as they sensed she was about to speak again.

"My only joy is that I can give you cause to celebrate and be happy. May this day mark the first in a new year of prosparity and growth!"

And with those words the Light of Meridian spread wide her arms and stepped off the balcony. She flew gracefully to the garden below, the eyes of the entire city upon her. Again, joyous tears came to the eyes of her friends as she drifted closer. The world had grown silent, even the wind seemed to holding its breath.

And then her foot made contact with the earth. Instantly, thousands of candles ignited their flames, and the city was thrown into a bright, warm glow. At the same instant thousands of fireworks erupted from behind the castle, throwing the night sky into a dazzling array of colors and sounds, but even the sound of the blasting fireworks was drowned out by the cheer that exploded from the people of Meridian. They cheered for joy, they cheered for peace, they cheered for those lost in the battles past, they cheered for love, but above all they cheered for their Queen.

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The dank cavern seemed to stretch for miles into the earth. Fortunately, so far it had been easy enough to navigate. The walls were twice as high as an average human, and the floor was a shallow down-hill incline. Even though one could hear the dripping of water seemingly from all around, the ground was not excessively muddy, just damp. The walls however were much less welcoming. More than once the lone traveler had paused to rest and inadvertantly placed his palm upon the cool stone for support. Immediately, those hate filled eyes had filled with disgust, and he drew back his hand which was now covered in a sticky slime.

Phobos again thought of how the mighty had fallen. Here he was, forced to traverse this forsaken pathway into the depths of the world he hated. But he still he pressed on. He sensed he was close to his goal. To harness the wickedness of an entire planet would make him ustoppable. Those fools in Kandrakar would cower and plead for the mercy of a swift death when he came for them. Their pathetic heros, the guardians, would fall before him as they should have so long ago. Their fate, he vowed, would be far worse than death.

The ball of luminescence he had conjured floated behind him allowing him to clearly see what lay ahead. The fallen prince walked on with determination. He was surprised when his foot conected with something solid amid the damp earth. He looked down not immediately knowing what he was looking at.

_Bones._ He realized as his eyes soon made out the hallow recesses of eye sockets set into a smooth skull. Not a human skull, but some sort of animal had come down deep within the earth to die. Or perhaps it had been dragged here by something larger. The thought did little discourage him. Nothing would stop him when he was this close.

The farther Phobos walked the more the ground under his feet became littered with bones. Yes, Phobos knew what he sought was close, and then he saw it. The long tunnel he had traversed finally came to and end in a large cavern. And in the middle of the cave sat a pool of the darkest black imaginable. Indeed the light Phobos had created and even the blackness from the surrounding cavity seemed to be absorbed by this black pool. It didn't bubble or ripple. It just sat there, deathly still.

Any other traveler would have probably fled in fear at the sight of something so unnatural, but Phobos smiled and stepped forward. He knew this is what he had come for.

Suddenly, a flicker of movement to his left caught his eye. Without turning the prince knew he was not alone here in this place all light had abandoned. Whatever it was, he could almost sense it now. It was stalking silently along the wall trying to get behind him, and Phobos knew he had discovered the cause of the many bones he come across. Betraying no sign that he was alerted the the creature's presence, Phobos took another few steps towards the black pool. He sensed the creature tense behind him preparing to spring.

In an instant Phobos spun to face his attacker, and, with and outstretched arm, he directed his floating ball of light at the thing's face. As the light sped to its master's command the creature was illuminated in full, and Phobos let out a surprised gasp. His attacker bristled with black hairs all over its body, and it's eight legs sprung grotesquely out from its swollen body. Four orange, glowing eyes squinted in the sudden brightness.

Phobos realized that it resembled some sort of large spider, but, where on a normal spider one would find the fangs, there was a misshappen head. This head then opened wide its vast maw of a mouth and let out screech of rage. Hundreds of needle-like teeth glittered and dripped with saliva. And with a mighty shove off the wall the thing lept at the prince.

Phobos dove to the floor narrowly missing those gaping jaws. Following up his dive with a roll, Phobos again got to his feet. He was impressed at the speed and ferocity of the creature, but still it was in his way. And Phobos would tolerate no living creature getting in his way.

The spider quickly skuttled around preparing for another charge. Phobos let out a harsh and mocking laugh knowing the poor creature had no idea the kind of person it was attacking. He raised his hand and pointed at its abdomen. There was a flash of light and an ear-splitting screech of pain as the beam of energy erupted from the tyrant's finger.

In an instant the powerful creature lay smoldering on the ground, the orange glow of its eyes slowly dimming. Again Phobos laughed and stepped towards his prize. He discarded his robe on the shore and without a moment of doubt stepped into the black waters.

The liquid seemed to tug at him and wrapped slim fingers of black up his bare legs, but he forced his way foward towards the center of the pool. It was almost waist deep, but the darkness seemed to be alive and it sprung up and wrapped itself over Phobos' chest attempting to drag him under the surface. The former prince stood strong his legs locked at the knees and his arms clenched. He knew the darkness was trying to absorb him, trying to add him to its power.

"Not this time," Phobos laughed at the pool, "You won't have me!"

Then he sensed a change. The tug at his body lessed as the wickedness he stood in succumed to his own stregnth. Gradually, slowly, Phobos began to consume the liquid. He laughed again as he felt his power begin to grow, his evil laugh echoing off the walls of the deserted tunnels. He continued the almost crazed fit of laughter until the black pool, the manifest wickedness of Meridian, had been absorbed into his body.

The prince's eyes almost glowed with a deadly fire as he clenched his fists and looked around the chamber. He stood in the shallow recess left by the pool. Not a drop of liquid remained to be found. Now, he thought breathing heavily. Now he had the means to fulfill his goals. Ultimate conquest would be his, and he would start here with the planet that had thwarted his misson twice already. He knew that when Meridian fell, the rest of the cosmos would be easy prey, for it was here that the galaxie's strongest defenders would come. His sister and the guardians would meet their end here.

Yet, he was wise enough to know that he need to test their stregnths and weaknesses before launching his campaign. He would need to know of any new allies they had found.

As his eyes settled on the bristly haired creature that had been the pool's guardian, an idea formed in his head, and a wicked smile crept to his lips. Yes, this one would do nicely. He strode over to the black mass on the ground, even though the bulk of its body was still taller than Phobos, those dim orange eyes glowed with fear at his approach. He raised his hands over its head and a black mist seemed to seep from his palms.

"You will be reborn stronger and faster than you were before," the prince said in a whisper, "You will serve me as your master, and I will reward you with tender, young flesh to devour."

The orange in the creature's eyes began to glow more brightly, and soon it was able to stand on its eight legs again. Phobos was pleased. He had just the mission for his new pet. One that would test the guardians nicely. With a downward thrust of his hand he ripped open a large portal in front of him.

"Go," he commanded, "Go and devour the guardians, my night stalker."

Without hesitation the night stalker went through the portal and entered the city of Hetherfield.

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It had grown late, and the guardians knew it was time to depart. If they stayed for much longer, it would be much harder to come up with an excuse for their absence. In any case, they could tell their host was growing tired. Indeed, she was practically sleeping on her feet.

"Good-bye, Elyon," Will said, "we hope to see you again soon."

"Yeah, and this time not when some crazed psycho is trying to kill us all," Cornelia agreed stepping forward to give her friend one last hug.

"I hope you're not leaving on my account," Elyon said rubbing her eyes, "I've just been having a little trouble sleeping lately."

"And she's been quite busy preparing for this party," Caleb said smiling at her, "Its best if she can get to bed early tonite."

"We'll visit soon, Ellie," Irma said as she turned to join Will standing a few feet away.

"We miss you, too bad you can't come back with us," added Hay Lin.

Elyon smiled and looked around, "This is my home now. We all know that I couldn't be happy back on earth."

Caleb and Elyon gave one last wave to their friends and then they disappeared, no longer in the world of Meridian. Once again, Elyon felt that feeling of being alone. It was foolish, she knew. This was her home. This was where her family was. But still, she often felt like there was no one who could quite understand where she was coming from. Caleb was sweet and a good friend, but he was also a rebel leader from this world. How could he understand the issues a teenage girl from earth went through? Already, she missed her five friends deeply.

"Come, my Queen," Caleb said giving her a smile. "You look very tired. It's a good night for you to get some extra rest."

"You're right," Elyon conceded, "Maybe I'll feel better in the morning."

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Wic numbly walked the deserted streets of Heatherfield. It wasn't so unusual for him to walk alone at night. He was a night-owl, feeling more alert and energetic in the evening. The darkness often made him feel a little better when he was troubled. He felt as if in the dark of night he could hide away where no one could see him. To him, it felt like a cloak of security when he felt insecure.

And tonite, he needed that cloak very much. Again, he went over what had transpired that evening when he had met his mother at home. When he had off-handedly mentioned Meridian, his mother had reacted in a way he would never have expected. Instantly, he realized that she not only knew what the word meant, but it meant something very meaningful to her as well.

He grimaced as he remembered the fight that had ensued. Wic had tried to convince his mother to tell him what it meant. Something inside of him told him that he had the right to know, that he _needed _to know. But his mother had flat out refused to speak to him. It was the first time he had ever seen his mother act that way. Usually, she was so understanding and would be happy to help her son.

But this time she had grabbed hold of Wic by the shoulders and demanded to know from whom he had heard that word. Wic finally told her that he had heard some girls from school talking about it hoping he would still be able to get some information from her. But she simply demanded that he stay away from these girls, and never go near them again.

For Wic that had been too much. He was tired of the lies. Tired of being held in the dark by everyone he had talked to today.

"They're my friends, Mom!" he had protested.

"I'm just trying to do what's best for you," she replied her face red.

Wic's temper snapped, "You don't know what's best for me! Lying to me isn't what is best for me. You know that there's something out there for me. Something more, and you're holding me back," his dark blue eyes flashed with emotion, "I'm going to find out what it means no matter what."

With that he had stormed out the door and been walking around Heatherfield ever since. Still his thoughts raged in his head. He felt now, more than ever, like he was out of place. Something inside of him was calling to him, but he couldn't grasp hold of what it could be. In frustration, he sat down on one of the swings of the deserted park, trying to clear his head.

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Elyon lay in her bed fast asleep. Indeed, she had welcomed the thought of getting some extra rest, but tonite her dreams would not afford her that luxury.

She was floating. High above the surface of Meridian. Normally, this would have been a pleasant experience for her. However, this time dark clouds swirled all around her. It seemed as if the storm from the horizon had finally caught up with her, and now she was by herself in the middle of it.

It was so close. She winced at every flash of lightning, imagining that she could feel the energy as it streaked past her. The explosive thunder that followed shook her to her bones. However, it was the rain that was the worst part. It came fast and hard in an unrelenting flood. Her hair and her white night gown clung to her skin as she was completely soaked. Desperately, Elyon hid her face in her hands in an attempt to shield herself from it all as the icey torrent beat against her skin.

Suddenly, through her fingers she caught a flash of light and with it came a tantelizing feeling of warmth. Scarcly looking up, she prayed that the warmth and the light would remain.

"Elyon."

The voice surprised her, but it wasn't sharp or critical in anyway. Quite the opposite, it, like the light that was now growing more brightly around her, offerd warmth and seemed to radiate great strength. The young queen slowly raised her raid to see the face of who had called to her, and quickly put a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp.

The person or perhaps creature, for it seemed to radiate a much more primal sense of energy, was clothed in pure, golden light. Furthermore, it's white skin and long, silken hair seemed to radiate a light of their own. Instantly, Elyon was reminded of an Angel like she had heard about while growing up on Earth.

The creature of light smiled at her, "Do not fear, my queen. The storm cannot harm you."

"What are you?" Elyon asked amazed.

"I am you," it replied, "or perhaps more accurately, I am what is within you. I am what you rule over and what you labor to protect. I am Meridian."

"I don't understand," Elyon said apologetically.

"There is no time for explainations," the entity said with a sense of urgency in its voice, "I come with a warning. There is a great evil approaching. Already it has grown in power to a point where it threatens to devour not only Meridian but the rest of the cosmos as well. It is far stronger than anything you or your friends have faced so far."

"What do you want me to do?" Elyon asked as apprehension grew within her.

"You will discover that in time," the being of light said smiling again, "But for now I must tell you of another.

"Long ago in Meridian's most dire hour, a hero arose to challenge the evil that was about to engulf her. Meridian gifted this hero with great power. Power similar to what you hold within you today, Light of Meridian. With this power, the hero was able to defeat the evil and restore balance.

"This power was only called upon twice in the entire history of Meridian. Both times the situation was desperate, and both times the heros succeeded in defeating their foe," the creature paused, and for some reason Elyon thought it looked very sad for a moment. The feeling vanished and it continued talking, "Now, as prophocised, it is time to call on that power again. Meridian again faces its darkest hour, and it will require the combined stregnth of you all if there is to be a chance to stand against it."

"But," Elyon said as she managed to absorb the information, "who is the one you spoke of? Who is going to help us in coming battle?"

"The one to wield the Tear of Meridian was chosen many years ago. He was bestowed with the crystal at his birth just as a prophecy was made about him. When his parents heard of his importance they fled to Earth in an attempt to keep him safe from Phobos, who was ruler at the time. Surely, if the prince discovered that the child had such power, he would have attempted to destroy or corrupt him. Just as he tried to do with you.

"Even now, his power is about to awaken, and he is going to make his return to Meridian. Only together with him can you challenge the coming darkness." Another pause for Elyon's benifit, giving her time to soak everything in, "You hold great strength and power within you, Elyon. Always remember that."

With those parting words the creature of light began to fade away, and the storm again started to become more prominant.

"Wait," Elyon cried, "I have more questions."

But the the creature was almost gone now, and the storm again pressed in around her.

"WAIT!" Elyon cried, but suddenly she found herself lying in her bed back in the palace. Outside her window the storm she had spied on the horizon beat against the stone walls. She sat up as she tried to gather her thoughts and then lept from her bed.

Summoning her maid and some of the guard, she began giving orders, "Prepare a room and double the guard around the palace. I have a feeling we're about to have some visitors."

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At the sound of laughter, Wic looked up from the ground. He still sat alone in the park, the swing easily supporting him as he had brooded. Immediately, he found the source of the laughter. Matt and the girls were talking happily to one another as they walked down the street about thirty yards away from Wic. It looked as if they were returning from Rebecca's house.

Wic got to his feet. It was now or never, he decided. It was time to confront them about their secret. Wic began to walk towards them, but then froze. He thought he had spied something hugging the treeline in front of him. Something huge. He peered more closely and to his horror he saw a large monstrosity shift slightly. It's attention seemed to be fixed on the group of six people walked down the streed about ten yards in front of it.

The thing, whatever it was, seemed to lower itself into a crouch. Wic realized that it was waiting for the right moment to spring, and with the group of his friends growing closer that moment seemed all too close.

"Look out!" Wic shouted and the group stopped on the sidewalk not five meters from the monster. They looked around for a second as if confused. Then the creature sprung. Horrible orange glowing eyes ripe with hunger lunged from the darkness at the guardians.

The girls seemed to react instantly. Will grabbed Matt by the arm while the others lept out of the way.

"Guardians!" Will shouted and suddenly her hand began to glow with a strange purple light. Wic watched what happened next in mute awe. The five girls were engulfed in an array of colorful light as they seemed to levitate from the ground for a few seconds. When the light faded the girls had changed. They were taller and looked older, but the most striking thing was their clothes and wings.

"What is this thing?" Cornelia shouted to her friends as they eyed the creature that was now bathed in the soft glow of a street lamp.

"I don't know," Taranee said, "but I've always hated spiders." With that her hands glowed in orange fire. Wic couldn't believe what he was seeing as he watch Taranee shoot flames from her hands to form a ring of heat around the night stalker.

The spider drew back from the sudden light and heat, anger now burning in those hungry eyes. With a powerful leap, it vaulted over the flames and landed behind Taranee preparing for another attack.

"Oh no you don't," little Hay Lin said as she flew over Taranee, "Have a little taste of _air_."

Powerful gusts of wind were summoned at her command and blasted in the stalker's face. The spider skittered to the side away from the onslaught and shot something white through the air. The startled cries of Hay Lin and Taranee revealed that they were now bound to the ground in a sticky web-like substance.

"Quick," Will ordered raising her hands in front of her, "Cornelia, Irma, try to get them loose." Purple blasts of light erupted from Will's hands and streaked towards their enemy. The large spider jumped backwards into a tree and disappeared into the surrounding darkness. Will stopped her attack and looked around, "Where'd it go?"

Another web shot out of the darkness, encasing Will in its sticky binds. The spider followed with a mighty leap as it sailed through the air. The massive legs landed within feet of Cornelia as she was trying to get the webbing off of Hay Lin. With a powerful swing of its front leg, the creature sent Cornelia flying backwards in the direction of where Wic still watched in frozen fascination.

The monstrous spider stalked slowly towards the stunned blonde laying on the ground, those orange eyes glowing more brightly than ever. With a start, Wic realized that she as in real trouble now. The other girls were either still occupied or unable to move.

The spider now stood over Cornelia, and she looked up in horror at the dripping jaws closing in on her. Wic knew in another second the girl would be gone.

"No!" he shouted and charged at the creature from the darkness. He hurled a small stone as he ran, striking the night stalked between its four eyes. It reared back in surprise and pain at the unexpected attack.

Wic stood over the trembling form of Cornelia, his body placed squarely between her and the night stalker.

"I won't let you hurt her," Wic said defiantly to the creature towering over him. It seemed to regaurd him for a moment and then it opened its massive mouth and uttered a terrible screech. Saliva flew from needle like teeth spraying the two figures below it.

Instinctivly, Wic knew that it was about to sink those teeth into him. Yet, refusing to move, he raised his hands over his head in an attempt to offer some protection from the initial attack.

Suddenly, he felt the warmth against his chest where his pendant hung, and he felt energy coursing through his veins. Surprised, he looked down at his chest and saw the light glowing under his shirt, and slowly the Tear of Meridian rose from under his shirt and floated in front of the boy's face. Wic's eyes were transfixed upon the small crystal that he had carried his whole life, and somehow, he knew what to do.

He raised his head and stared the spider full in its wicked face. He felt the warmth travel from the pendant through his body. As if guided by instinct, he directed the warmth to the palms of his hands where it gathered.

"You're through," he whispered to the creature, and let loose the energy built up within him. There was an explosion of light brighter than sun that flashed for an instant, and when it faded the stalker lay on its back a few feet away. Those orange eyes that had shone so brightly were now charred and dull, and low pitched moaning sound came from its throat as it lay in defeat.

Wic looked down at his hands in amazement, "How did you do that?" Cornelia asked now rising to her feet. Matt and the other girls, now free from their bonds crowded around as well.

"I...I dont know," Wic said softly, "My pendant, it just started glowing, and I could feel the energy inside of me. Somehow, I knew I could control it. I just couldn't let that thing hurt you," Wic looked around at the group his heart still beating rapidly, "What was that thing, and what are you? Why do you have wings? How can do you have those powers? Do they have something to do with Meridian?" The questions came tumbling out in a rush, yet somehow, for once Wic didn't feel so restless.

"Whoa, wait a second," Will said looking dazed, "just what is going on here? How do you have powers and how do you know about Meridian?"

However, before anyone else could speak the moaning from the creature suddenly stopped. The group all looked up to see it climb to its feet again.

"Doesn't this thing ever stop?" Matt asked as he tensed for another attack.

But instead, the spider turned its back on them and streaked away at incredible speed.

"Hah," Irma said proudly, "Looks like its had enough."

"No," Wic replied as dread filled him, "Thats the way to my house!"

"What? It can't know where you live," Cornelia said, but she didnt sound convinced.

"Quick," Will said, "We have to catch it and send it back from where it came."

The group fled the park in pursuit of the night stalker. Silently, Wic prayed that nothing would happen. They would catch it in time before it could hurt anyone. No one spoke as they ran, each was absorbed in their own thoughts. The peaceful night had turned against them in a matter of seconds, and none was quite sure what to think about all the new developments.

Finally, they rounded the last street corner and Wic knew that his fears had been confirmed. His house was a disaster zone. The whole front wall looked as if it had been caved in, and wreckage was strewn across the lawn.

"Mom!" the boy shouted in desperation. Maybe she was alright. Maybe she had managed to hide herself. "Mom!"

The only answer came from a flash of light above him. Everyone looked up to see the night stalker on the roof of the demolished house, and in it's mouth hung the limp form of Wic's mother. The creature held her by the scruff of her shirt and it seemed to leer down at them through its blind eyes. Then before anyone could react, the spider disappeared through the portal that had been opened for it, leaving them all in stunned silence.

Despair gripped at the pit of Wic's stomach. _No, how could this happen?_ He thought dully as the sound of police sirens echoed in the distance. In an instant, his whole world, everything he knew, had come crashing down around him.

"We have to get out of here," Taranee said anxiously.

Just then the crystal around Will's neck began to glow again, "The Heart of Kandrakar," she said, "Kandrakar is summoning us."

"Perfect," Cornelia said, "maybe there we can get some answers."

"Quick, let's go then," Hay Lin replied," Before the police get here."

"I'm coming too," Wic said firmly, as he shook himself from his shock. The tone in his voice left no room for an arguement. He would go, and he vowed he would find a way to save his mom, for he refused to let himself believe that she was gone for good.

Will looked him in the eye and nodded, and with that, the group of seven dissapeared in the night air, no longer on the world of Earth.

**Author's Notes: **Sorry for the wait, but as you can see it was a rather long chapter. Things really start to pick up from this point, so strap yourselves in. Also, please leave me a review if you read. I really do want to know what people think. Ideas, thoughts, or suggestions are always welcome. Also, it encourages me to write faster if I know people like it.


	4. Home

Chapter 4

The guardians and their two male companions appeared in the middle of the council hall of Kandrakar. In vast contrast to their last visit, the room was packed with people. The council was seated in their normal postitions in the stadium style semi-circle, their differently shapen bodies each displayed one of the many races of people living throughout the realms of existance. In the middle of the circle stood the Yan Lin, Endarno, and the Oracle himself. To the guardians, the proud overseer of Kandrakar looked out of character. Those normally fierce yet compationate eyes seemed to be overcast with a sense of sadness.

Wic and Matt looked around the hall in a transfixed state of shock. However, Wic did not forget the crisis at hand. Although, the room was indeed beautiful and awesome in appearance, the circumstance for their visit was one of urgency.

"Welcome, once again, guardians," the Oracle said being the first to break the silence, "and welcome, Matt friend of Kandrakar, and Wic, Keeper of the Tear."

At the last phrase, the small group of friends straightened and focused on the Oracle.

"What is going on," Will blurted, "We were attacked on Earth by a huge spider, and Wic here was the one that saved us."

There was a pause and all eyes trained on the Oracle, "The balance of the cosmos hangs by a delicate thread. An evil has arisen. An evil so great that all you have labored to protect as guardians is about to be destroyed."

Around the room there was silence as all waited for the explaination to continue.

"A few days ago my meditation was disturbed by a warning. Warnings come in all forms, but this one came from an item of great power. This item, born on Merdian, only comes to surface in a time of great calamity. Calamity as such, I can assure you, you have never known.

"Once, hundreds of years ago in my early days as Oracle, this item surfaced in answer to a crisis that left much of Meridian burning in flames of destruction. It is true that with the combined strength of the bearer of the this item and the Heart of Kandrakar, the evil was defeated, but it was at a great cost of life.

"Now, fate has determined that it is again time for the Tear of Meridian to awaken, and its bearer defend his home world," the Oracle stopped speaking and looked directly at Wic. The boy was struck with the sadness in those steady eyes, and immediately sensed that, once again, he was not being told something. It was almost as if the Oracle was holding something back. This knowledge put Wic on his guard and he opened his mouth to speak.

"Me? My pendant? I've had it my whole life. How can I be the bearer of whatever you called it...the Tear of Meridian? I dont even know what Meridian is."

"Meridian is the world you were born on, my boy," the Oracle replied offering a weak smile, "When you were born, a prophecy was made reguarding you and the Tear. Your parents, fearing that if Phobos, the tyrant in power at the time, heard of it he would either have you disposed of or corrupted to serve him with your power. They made a desperate attempt to leave Meridian, even as word your existance reached Phobos. When they reached the portal that would lead to their salvation, they were met by the forces of the wicked prince. Your father, buying time for you and your mother to escape, stayed behind to meet his fate at the edge of their swords," the Oracle stopped and looked compationately at the young boy standing before him.

Wic stood in shock. Everything that had happened today was too much. The lies, the fight with his mom, the battle with the spider, the destruction of his house, the abduction of his mother, and now this; it all threatened to overwhelm him and shatter his sanity into millions of pieces. But one shred of knowledge held his mind. His mother. His mother had been taken. Was she alright? Was she even alive? Wic had to help her.

"My mom," he finally managed to say through a tightened throat, "That thing took my mom. Is she...is she,"

"I believe she lives," the Oracle stated, "the creature that attacked you was sent to Earth by a portal ripped in the very fabric of space. I can only surmise that it was acting on the bidding of that which threatens us all. There would have been no need to take your mother with him if she were dead."

Wic nodded and he could feel the eyes upon him. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder and in that instant he was immensly greatful to have friends at his side.

"But now, young Wic," the Oracle continued, "You have a choice to make. What will you do now, knowing your history and what fate has aligned?"

Wic paused only for a second. He already knew his answer. In part, he had known the answer his whole life, ever since the feelings of restlessness and unbelonging had plagued his heart.

"I will go to Meridian. I will be the bearer of the Tear of Meridian, and I will face this evil that has broken my life," his dark blue eyes burned with emotion, "And I will get my mom back."

The Oracle and the congregation regaurded him, and the overseer of Kandrakar spoke. The sadness in his voice was plain for all to hear, "So shall it be, Guardian of the Tear. I believe there are already preparations being made for your arrival," he turned to the five girls and Matt standing behind Wic, "I will take care of things with your parents. Make sure Wic is settled before you leave but be quick about it."

The guardians of Kandrakar nodded their understanding and gathered together in order to leave.

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Like their visit to Kandrakar, the guardian's arrival in Meridian couldn't have been more different then thier first. The excited buzz of conversations and feelings of warmth and security were gone. In their place hung a sense of guarded anticipation. The many tables that had filled the room were now cleaned and empty, and the palace guard was posted at each exit.

Elyon rose from her seat on her throne as she saw her friends materialize once again on her world. Caleb, Vathek, and her parents were at her side, and they looked to her for her next move.

She hadn't had time to explain her dream, or perhaps it was more of a vision, to any of them, but they had carried out her orders without question. The palace guard had been doubled, and then they had waited in the throne room for whatever it was that Elyon was expecting. Now, it was time for answers.

"I expected all of you, of course," she smiled at the girls, "but I didn't expect you to bring these two."

"You were expecting us?" Will asked, "How?"

"Let's just call it a hunch," Elyon replied, not wanting to go into too much detail about her dream. It had seemed an almost personal visit. Something that couldn't be shared lightly or in a rushed manner. "For now, how about you fill me in on what's happened."

The new group of visitors related their tale of night stalker's attack and how Wic's power had saved Cornelia. The Meridianite's eyes flickered over to him, but there was no inturruption until Will reached the part where they had found Wic's house in ruins and his mother caught in the creature's jaws.

Elyon gasped, and her eyes filled with concern for the boy that stood at Matt's side behind the girls.

"A cowardly act!" Boomed Vathek, "It is obvoius that the creature's master recoginized the boy's power and sent it after his family."

"Yes," Caleb added, "It reminds me of the kind of things Phobos would pull when he ruled Meridian."

"Yeah, but we kicked his butt," Irma said proudly, "Twice! At least we don't have to worry about his ugly face anymore."

The others all nodded in agreement. Thoughts of Phobos was enough to send shudders down the spines of most of those gathered.

"Phobos," Wic said speaking for the first time as everyone shifted their attention to him, "the Oracle said that it was him who killed my father." The young boy's blue eyes burned with anger at the sudden insight. Briefly, he thought what a shame it was that the tyrant had been defeated before he had a chance to take a swing at him. It wasn't easy for a boy to grow up without a father, but somehow Wic found some closure in the fact that he now knew the name of the man that had robbed him this.

The air seemed to grow tense at Wic statement, "Almost all of us have lost something to my brother at one time," Elyon said sadly, "I can only hope that I can repair some of the wrong that he caused."

Wic was surprised to hear that Phobos was Elyon's brother, and somewhere deep inside him some of the respect and liking he had for Elyon was replaced by a feeling of resentment. Wic looked away from the girl's eyes, slightly ashamed of his thoughts, but unable to banish them from his mind.

However, the silence was again broken by Will, "The Oracle said to stay only as long as we were sure that he was settled here."

"We've already had a room here in the palace prepared for him," Caleb said stepping forward offering Wic a smile, "I wish it could say it on a happier occasion, but welcome to Meridian."

The guardians turned to their newest friend and Will wrapped her arms around him in tight hug. In that moment, Wic felt very greatful the for short red-head's friendship and some of his stress melted away, "I'm sorry for what happened to your mom," she said as they parted, "but I promise you that we will help you find her again."

"That's a promise from all of us," Hay Lin added as she gave him her own hug.

In turn each of the guardians hugged their friend good-bye and offered him some encouragment. Finally, Matt placed a hand on his back, "I hope to see you again sometime. It won't be the same back home without you," his friend remarked sadly.

Wic felt a twinge of remorse, feeling it would be a very long time before saw Matt again. Unlike, the guardians, this would probably be Matt's only trip to Meridian.

"Good-bye," Wic said to them all, "and thanks for everything."

And in another moment they once again disappeared. As soon as they were gone Wic suddenly felt very alone in this new world. Yet, another feeling rose up within him, calming his nerves. For once in his life he felt like he belonged where he was. He felt at home.

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Phobos greeted his wounded creature as it returned to the cavern deep within the earth. His plan had gone better than he could have expected. He had hoped to test the guardian's strength, but he had gleaned a much more useful bit of information.

The Tear of Meridian had returned to its rightful world. As he had watched the events unfold in his scrying crystal he had conjured, he was at first alarmed at the powerful new enemy he had inadvertantly awakened. But his twisted mind thought quickly, and in an instant he sent the command for his thrall to follow the boy's scent back to his home. As he had hoped, he found the boy's mother and had captured her.

Now, he thought as he looked at the unconscious woman on the floor, he had a bargaining tool at his disposal. He smiled as his plans formed within his head. Yes, he knew the secret to the Tear. The secret that he doubted even the guardians knew. Perhaps he could use this to his advantage.

But first, he needed to get out of this hole in the ground. Such a place was unfitting for the future ruler of existance. However, he did not yet wish to reveal himself to his enemies.

He would have to create a lair in which he could gather and command his forces but remain out of sight for the time being. Such a feat would be not difficult for one who commanded the pools of power he did.

The Prince of Darkness looked around the cavern. Here, where he had discovered his power at the polar opposite of Elyon's palace, he would form his fortress.

With arms raised, the wicked prince focused his power, and whisps of darkness began to eminate from his body and swirl around him. The night stalker cowered in fear as the entire cavern began to violently shake. Bits of stone and mold fell to the floor as the earthquake grew in intensity, and soon whole boulders of earth were breaking free of the walls and ceiling around the three solitary figures.

By the command of a single man, the earth began to rise, and on the surface, animals fled in fear as great fissures broke the ground, scarring the once beautiful grasslands. Two great pinnacles of rock rose skyward passing trees and birds as they flew frantically away.

The two towering spires of charred rock slowly stopped rising as they came to rest above the landscape below. In stark contrast to the grasslands below, the twin colossals resmbled pointed mountains stabbing into the night sky. The pinnacles gradually slanted inward to meet at the base so that they formed one mighty fortress composed of sinister beauty.

Phobos laughed as he stood within the walls of his creation. This blackened bastion would be his fortress, and here he would begin his unstopable invasion.

His forces, he mused, would be easy to come by. Darkness is attracted to darkness, and the wicked things of Meridian would gather to him, willing to obey his command. He already had an army of Sharvaks at his disposal. He had almost used this army on Meridian's capitol during his time as Oracle.

Conquest would come soon enough, but the exiled prince was not content to merely defeat his enemies. He wanted them to suffer before they died. The guardians and his sister would witness their lives be destroyed. Everything and everyone they had ever loved or cherished would burn before their eyes.

What better place to start than the sundering of Meridian? The world they had all fought to protect and the world that was his sister's home would be his first target. There was no remorse in Phobos' mind for the thought of destroying his own world. All that mattered to him was the conquest that had for too long be put off.

The Sharvaks would be the first to strike. The army of reptilian creatures was perfectly trained during his time as Prince and perfectly capable of the destruction he desired, but he needed allies. Every ruler needed his thralls, and the sharvaks needed one to command them and keep them on pace.

However, treacherous Cedric was locked away in Kandrakar along with Frost the Hunter. He would need a new leutenant to lead his reptilian army. One that wouldn't be immediately recognized by the guardians.

Phobos looked around the empty halls of his stone fortress, and sent a call to all the faithful that still hid in the secluded places of Meridian. Very soon, his minions would arrive to serve their master again.

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Bel'ac lay motionless in the thicket which he had adopted as his home since fleeing from Elyon's armies after the defeat of the Dark Prince. The walls of briars and thorns that surrounded him were common in the dying forest, and he had found that he could live here without being disturbed even if it was a far cry from the royal palace.

Bitterly, the green-skinned figure remembered the days of glory under the reign of his creator. As one of the royal whisperes, Bel'ac was gifted with power the and comfort that came with his position. He had carried out his wicked orders without question.

But now, he lay in a polluted forest, hiding from the hunters of that usurping ruler that now sat on the throne. He had managed to stay alive and healthy only by his own cunning and twisted hatred.

Under his breath he cursed Elyon and the guardians. If only his master where here. He would carry out his orders with a vengance.

Then he felt it. The unmistakable tug on the core of his being. He knew that call, but how could this be? Was it a trick?

No, he thought as a smile spread across his lips to reveal his white, pointed teeth. His master had returned and was calling his servants back to him. Finally, the whisperer thought, he could have his revenge.

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The morning's rays of light fell across Wic's face as he lay on his bed in his new room. Not moving, the boy allowed his thoughts to carry him through what had happed the night before. In an instant, his whole life, everything he had once thought to be secure, was taken away from him. His mother, his home, his friends were all gone, and he was here alone on a new world.

But as he had felt last night, he knew he was where he belonged. The home he had sought all his life was now beneath his feet, and, dispite the events of the night before, he felt rested and energized.

The new found Guardian of the Tear sat up and examined the room around him. The palace was indeed beautiful. Paintings adorned the walls, plants sprouted from brilliant vases in the corners, and the floors were made of a cool, black marble.

So this was home.

Just then the door open and a small maid stepped through the door, "Ah, I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to disturb you. I thought you would still be alseep," the girl stammered and began to back out of the room.

"It's okay," Wic grinned, "Maybe you can answer some questions while you do what ever you were going to do."

The maid's faced brightened at the prospect of having someone to talk to while she did her chores, and she stepped into the room carrying a large pitcher.

"What's your name?" Wic asked as she started to water one of the plants.

"Me? I'm Nira, but that's not important. What is important is that you are Wic Wislow. Everyone for a hundred miles must know your name by now," the talkative maid spilled some water and stooped down to clean it up.

"What? Why would they know about me?"

"Don't be silly!" Nira chidded, "The Tear of Merdian is a big deal. There hasn't been a guardian of the Tear in hundreds of years. I never thought I'd be alive to see one," she turned away from Wic flushing slightly.

Wic thought it best not to mention to her that the Oracle had said the Tear only arose in a time of great danger. Perhaps, the less people who knew this the better.

He slowly climbed out of bed and pulled on a shirt he found hanging in a walk-in closet before asking anymore questions.

"Oh, I was supposed to leave you a note, but since you're awake I'll just tell you. Queen Elyon would like to meet with you as soon as you're ready. I actually think they're about to start breakfast. If we go now you can meet up with them."

Wic paused. The knowledge that he was about to eat breakfast with the sister of the man who had killed his father was slightly unsettling. However, there was little choice in the matter. If this was to be his new home, and if he was to have any chance of rescuing his mother, he would have to work with Elyon.

"Alright," he conceded, "Lead the way."

The two walked down the corridors of the palace at a leisurly pace. All the while, Nira chatted happily as Wic listened and took in his surroundings. The rest of the royal palace seemed just as beautiful as his room had been, but now he caught glimpses of the other inhabitants of Meridian.

Their differently colored skins and sizes revealed that this world was home to many different kinds of races. Wic even spotted a few that were sporting horns atop their heads. As he walked by, he saw several of the palace denizens sneaking glances at him. If he ever caught their eye, they would give him a broad smile before turning to their duties.

_It must be true_, Wic thought as he listened to Nira explain something about one of the paintings they were passing by, _People already know me, but it seems its been so long that they don't know that I'm here at a price._

"Here we are," Nira announced as they came to a stop in front of two large double doors, "Just go on in. I doubt they've started yet."

Wic thanked her and pushed open one of the doors and stepped inside the grand dining room. The ceilings were high and overhead hung a grand chandelier glittering with differently colored gem stones. The table in the middle was splashed with sunshine gleaming in from the open balconies on both sides of the room. The storm that had raged last night seemed to be over, but looking out the window, Wic could see that the sky was already growing overcast again.

"Wic," he heard the friendly voice and identified the speaker to be the boy who introduced himself as Caleb the night before, "we weren't sure if you would be up for breakfast this morning. You had a long night last night."

"Tell me about it," a groggy voice moaned sitting across from Caleb. Wic realized it was Elyon who spoke as she looked up and rubbed a sleepy eye. She managed to offer a grin to the new arrival.

The blue giant of a man known as Vathek gave a hardy chuckle, "Queen Elyon has never really been much of a morning person," he teased, "I remember once she overslept a meeting with the council. Kept them waiting on their feet for over an hour."

The others around the table all joined in the laughter. It was the same group as had met him the night before. Elyon's parents sat on opposite sides of the table next to their daughter at the head.

As the laughter faded, so did some of the knot that had formed in Wic's stomach. He could not dispell his resentment towards Elyon entirely, but at least the others seemed to be an enjoyable lot.

Avoiding the Queen's eyes he took a seat next to Caleb. He was surprised how comfortable he felt around all the new faces. Usually, when he had to meet someone new he was slightly unsure of himself and what to say. But here on Meridian, in the presence of its people he felt more confident. Perhaps it was because he was finally home, or perhaps it was because of his new found strength within him. Either way he managed a smile.

"I'm not sure if I got to properly introduce myself last night," he said as they waited for the food to arrive, "My name's Wic Wislow, but somehow everyone already seems to know that."

"Elyon told us," piqued her mother, "She remembered your name from when you two were in school together."

That surprised Wic a little. It had been over a year since Elyon and her parents had disappeared from Heatherfield.

The young queen smiled after stifling another yawn, "Do you remember me? I always used to see you and Matt while walking to my first class. You two would always be standing by the statue of Mr. Sheffield."

Wic again not meeting her eyes nodded, "Yeah, it was hard to forget you. The whole school got a little crazy for awhile after you guys disappeared. The police interviewed alot of students."

Just then the double doors opened again and several palace servers entered the room carrying silver trays laden with fruits, eggs, and an assortment of breads. As his stomach growled Wic realized how hungry he was, and he greatfully accepted what was placed before him.

Conversation was light while they ate, and he began to wonder when they would broach the subject of his presence. Finally, after most of the food was gone Caleb asked, "Do you have a plan, my Queen?"

As their eyes shifted to Elyon, she paused before answering, "I'm not entirly sure yet," she said apologetically, "We really know next to nothing. All we really know is that the reason Wic is here is because something very bad is about to happen."

"And we know that whoever is behind it all has my mom," Wic said and Elyon thought she caught a trace of bitterness in his voice. She examined his face, but he looked away.

_He thinks I'm weak_. She thought sadly as the thought hit her. _I can't blame him. I have no idea what to do, and I don't know how to help him find his mom._ Elyon looked down at her hands in her lap. She had hoped that her and Wic could become friends. It would have been nice to have someone to talk to about her past life with. Perhaps he was hoping she would have had an answer for him, but once again she had displayed her ineptitude for her position.

No one else seemed to have heard anything in Wic's voice and Caleb continued speaking, "That's right. He has your mom, but we also have you. There hasn't been a Guardian of the Tear in hundreds of years. I don't think he knows just what to think of you."

"But neither do we," added Vathek, "The boy grew up on Earth unaware of his power. Do you even know what you are capable of?"

Wic slowly shook his head as he thought about what had happened last night. He had be able to attack the night stalker, but he had little knowlege of just how it worked. Everything that had happened seemed to have been fueled by instinct. "I'm not sure," he said.

"He'll need to know how to fight," Elyon's father said speaking for the first time, "If he is to stand against what is to come, he'll need not only to know how to use his power but a sword as well."

"I'm not afraid of whatever it is," Wic said defiantly, "If all I had was my own two hands, that's all I'd use to get my mom back."

The young boy saw Caleb's face spread into a broad grin at his words, and Vathek clapped his hands, "That's what I like to here, my boy," the large captain of the guard said, "Just the kind of spirit I'd expect from you."

"I think you have my kind of style," grinned Caleb as he rose to his feet, "For now, you can come with me and Vathek. We'll teach you everything from sword play to horse riding, and later I'm sure Elyon can help you fine tune those powers of yours."

The first part of the plan sounded fine to Wic. He already considered himself to be an excellent rider. All those hours on vacation learning to ride would pay off. He even had managed to take some fencing lessons while in Heatherfield, but again he didn't relish the thought of spending time with Elyon. He knew he shouldn't blame her for his father's death, but somehow a part of him sought someone to blame. And perhaps, she was just the easiest cadidate.

"Of course," Elyon replied and Wic thought he voice sounded a bit diminished than from before, "That sounds like the best place to start. I actually think I'll accompany you this evening."

Wic thought he saw Caleb's face brighten at the news as they all pushed their chairs out to leave.

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It was around noon when Mr. Lair finally came through the door of his home. Irma looked up from the table as she was just finishing her late brunch. In a glance she could tell that her father was in a foul mood. Her mother had told her that he'd been out all night. What a rotten way to spend a weekend the orange haired girl thought to herself.

"Long night?" she asked as her dad still dressed in his police uniform opened the morning paper and sat down.

His reply came in form of the Heatherfield Times as he held it up for her to see the headlines. Scrawled across the front page was the title "NEIGHBORHOOD HOME DESTROYED! FAMILY MISSING!"

Inwardly, she winced as she realized the picture showed Wic's home. The neighbors must have called the police when they heard the commotion.

"This place is going crazy," her father said with a sigh, "That's the second family from this neighborhood that's gone missing in my time as chief of police. It makes you wonder sometimes."

Irma didn't answer. She knew the only thing that would result from any investigation would be long wasted hours by her father. Maybe they would even call in some top gun inspectors like they had done for Elyon. Either way, it would be just another headache for her and her friends.

"I'm meeting up with the girls in a second," she said changing the subject, "I'll probably be out all day. Don't wait up for me," she teased.

"Uh-huh," Mr. Lair grunted, "just make sure you're home by curfew."

Irma feigned being upset, "As if _I_ would ever break the rules. Puh-lease!"

"Sure, princess. See that you don't," he winked at her.

She took her dishes to the sink and kissed her dad on the cheek on her way to the door. Today was shaping up to be a long day. The guardians were planning on heading to Meridian to see how Wic was coming along in his new home, and also to come of up with a game plan. The Oracle might be of some help there. Then again, the water guardian mused, the Oracle's "help" was often hard to understand at times.

As she walked down the street she was met by Hay Lin. The smaller girl greeted her with the usual broad smile.

"Hey!" Hay Lin panted, "are you excited about today, or what? We finally get to spend some more time on Meridian."

"Oh, sure," she replied trying to adopt a haughty voice, "I'm always excited to run smack dab into a danger zone."

Although, truthfully, she was excited about the notion of spending time on their favorite home away from home.

The two girls quickly walked the rest of the way to Cornelia's house where the other girls were already waiting. Mr. and Mrs. Hale had taken Cornelia's younger sister Lilian out to the mall, so it was the perfect place to meet up.

They waved to the familiar doorman as he let them in and ran the flights of stairs to the Hale residence.

"Good, you're here," the dark-skinned Taranee greeted them at the door, "we were just about to WITCH up."

The three of them found Will and Cornelia in the living room, and to newcomers' surprise, Matt was there as well.

"What's he doing here?" Irma asked, "Can't you two go two minutes without seeing each other all the time?"

Matt laughed, "Not if we can help it," he said tossing a wink to the short red-head at his side.

"He's coming with us," Will supplied brightly, "We figured that since he's already been to Meridian now, the Oracle can't really have a reason for not letting him come along. Besides, this is more of a social visit."

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A few miles away from the city Elyon watched from her horse as Wic and Caleb ran through another set of drills. This one involved safely jumping from a falling horse without suffering too much damage. The two boy's horses charged at a fast gallop over the grassy ground. Then, as they were trained, both horses suddenly came to stop to simulate a fall. Both boys flew through the air as their momentum carried them forward.

Just as they were about to hit the ground they tucked their shoulders and rolled with the impact. The roll was followed through as they rose to their feet each wielding small short sword. Caleb lunged at Wic, as the other boy raised his weapon in a parry.

The two had been at these sorts of excersizes all morning. It seemed that Wic had a natural talent for horse riding and sword play. Every time Caleb showed him something new, it wasn't long before the dirty-blonde haired boy could almost match it.

"He is a fast learner," Vathek said atop his own horse as he too watched the duel.

"Yes," Elyon agreed absently. She still remembered what had transpired at the breakfast table. The feeling she got from Wic troubled her greatly.

Both he and Caleb had become fast friends. The two really were alot alike, and their entire morning had been filled with laughter and jokes. Wic seemed to find the Merdian expressions amusing, and Caleb often teased him when he bested him in duel.

Elyon slightly envied the male bonding the two seemed to share, for she greatly wished for another friend of her own. Being the queen was so stifling at times, and it was often Caleb's company that was her only relief.

Briefly, the sandy-haired maiden wondered about her relationship with Caleb. The two of them had become close over the last year. He had been the only other person close to her age she could talk to. Often, she wondered if he had feelings for her other than just friendship, but these thoughts never led her anywhere.

Caleb was a warrior. The rebel leader that had been Phobos' only challenge during his rule, and if he were to ever have feelings for his Queen, it would probably be very hard for him to admit it to her.

Elyon sighed and a part of her wished things were different.

"Such a sad face," Elyon turned as she recognized the voice, "Well I know just the thing for that."

The guardians and Matt approached the two figures on horse back, and Cornelia put a hand on Elyon's, "Why don't we have a little private chat while we wait for those two to finish up?"

The two best friends walked away talking in joyful tones while the others joined Vathek.

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Wic managed to block another strike from Caleb's sword, but the sudden attack threw him off balance. As he loosened his grip on his blade to keep from falling, Caleb landed another blow. This one sent the shorter boy's sword flying from his hand.

"Much better," Caleb encouraged, "You're catching on much faster than I expected."

Wic returned the grin, "This all feels so natural to me. Almost like it's something I learned a long time ago."

The pair looked up and noticed that the guardians and, to Wic's delight, Matt had joined Elyon on Vathek. Wic noticed that Caleb's eyes strayed to Elyon as she and Cornelia wondered away, deep in conversation. He remembered earlier this morning how close the Queen and the former rebel had seemed. Away from the others, he referred to her by her first name, rather than "Queen Elyon." The two readily laughed at eachother's jokes and seemed to enjoy the company.

"You like her, dont you?" Wic inquired a little surprised at his own bluntness. However, he and Caleb already had formed a close bond, and he felt like he could ask the question.

Caleb looked up sharply, "W-what? No. I mean..." the boy stumled over his words and then took on a resigned look, "Does it show that badly?"

Wic laughed, "No, not really. I've always sorta had a gift for reading other people. You two seem very close."

"She's one of my best friends," Caleb sighed, "She's my queen. I don't know how I'd ever be able to let her know of my feelings," The taller boy paused and brushed a brown lock from his eyes, "You don't really like her do you? Is it something you knew about her from Earth?"

This time it was Wic's turn to be surprised, "I didn't realize I was that open about it," he said guiltily.

"You weren't," Caleb assured but waited for him to continue.

"No, it's not something from before. In fact, I always thought she was a really nice girl," he paused again, "It's just that...her brother was the one who killed my dad."

The Meridian looked surprised for a minute, then his eyes showed compassion, "I suppose I can't blame you for feeling that way. You never knew Phobos. All you know is that he is the man that robbed you of your father. Perhaps, I can help.

"Phobos was a man of unspeakable evil. Under his rule all of Meridian suffered greatly. Families were torn apart, people went missing or were publicly executed, children starved. His court of whisperes made him untouchable. The rebellion could barely stand up to him.

"Then Elyon came. She defeated her brother and restored peace to Meridian. Unlike her brother, she used her powers to heal the land and banished the darkness forever. Under her rule we have known nothing but prosparity. She is nothing like her brother, and whether you like or not, she is your Queen now as well."

When Caleb ended his speech, Wic immediately felt both guilty and foolish. Indeed, he had been a fool harbor resentment towards Elyon for something her brother had done. And if Caleb had noticed it, he was sure Elyon had as well.

"I'm sorry," he said looking down, "She must be a very stong person to have stood up to her brother like that, and to come to a world she barely knew."

The rebel smiled and put his hand on Wic's shoulder, "She is. Even if she doesn't realize it yet."

The two dirtied boys turned and started walking to meet with the group of people waiting for them.

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"Well, I think it's time you finally told me what you think of him," Cornelia said to her friend once they were some distance away from the others.

Elyon couldn't express to Cornelia how much just walking and talking like this meant her. It was a long time since they talked about boys in a carefree way as they had in the past.

"Do you mean Wic or Caleb?" the girl asked.

"Oh-ho!" Cornelia exclaimed looking at Elyon, "Are you saying you having something going on for both of them?"

"What? No!" the queen replied pushing on Cornelia's shoulder, "That's not what I meant at all."

"Well, if you ask me, Wic really doesn't look that bad at all."

Elyon looked back over her shoulder at the two boys who were now talking to each other. She _had_ noticed that the new boy was rather attractive. She had always thought so, even when she knew him on Earth. Secretly, this was one of the reasons she had remembered his name so easily.

She had also been quite impressed with the way he handled himself. The boy had just come from having his entire world turned upside down on him, yet he managed to keep his frame of mind. It was as if he knew he had a mission to fulfill and not even being in a different world would stop him from it. It seemed as if she could see the strength in him that she so desperately wished she possessed.

However, she knew that Wic thought very little of her. All morning while they had managed to talk and laugh, Wic had kept her at a distance, being much more open to Caleb. This knowlege brought a heaviness to her chest.

Then there was Caleb. Her Meridian knight in shining armor. The one who had been there for her over the past year. If only she could sort out her feelings over him. Was he just a friend, or could they persue something more?

"I'm not sure," she confessed to the tall earth guardian, "I don't know what to think of Wic, and I'm not sure how if feel about Caleb or how he feels about me," she stopped then hastily added, "But one thing's for sure. They're both pretty cute."

The two light haired girls giggled to eachother as they turned to join the others.

As they approached, they caught the end of the lively discussion Matt, Caleb, and Wic were having about the sword play that had just occured.

"I can't belive you can handle that thing like that," Matt was saying to his friend, "who would have thought that a squirt like you would pick this up so fast?"

"Hey," Wic protested, "don't act surprised. I could always show you up back home."

"Oh yeah?" Matt teased as he wrapped his arm around the shorter boy's neck and tassled his hair.

They all looked up when the two girls arrived. Elyon was surprised when Wic offered her a small smile, and curiously, her heart gave a little flutter.

She was just opening her mouth to say something when a feeling of forboding hit her. She stood still for a moment in silence trying to determine what it was about.

Taranee was the first to notice something, "Is everything all right, Elyon?"

"No," the girl replied looking around, "Something is wrong back at the city. We have to get back there at once!"

**Author's Notes**: There you have it. I would like to take this time to thank those of you who have sent me messages of encouragement, and even those of you hounding my about when this chapter would go up. It's nice to know the story is appreciated.

The bad news is, I'm not sure when the next update will be. I'm entering into finals week here at school, and most of my time will be devoted to that. So, in the mean time don't forget to leave a review or send me a message. Thanks alot.


	5. The Calm

Chapter 5

Four horses galloped across the grassy fields that characterized most of the landscape surrounding Meridian's capitol city. Rabbits and other small rodents native to the area dove for cover as the thundering hooves beat against the earth.

Elyon in the lead on her white mare set the pace. She wore a determined expression on her face and not for the first time she wondered what could be going on back at her beloved city. The sense of forboding she had received had startled her, but she had quickly understood what it was about.

Meridian, it seemed, often had a way of warning her when something was not right. These warnings, or feelings, grew especially strong if it was a danger that threatened the capitol city itself.

Now, she led her companions on to the source of the trouble. Behind her, riding side by side, were Wic and Caleb. Neither of them seemed to understand the urgency, but they follower her nontheless. Vathek brought up the rear, his horse running slightly slower under his weight.

The guardians and Matt who had no horses would get there as soon as they could. Elyon felt that leaving them behind was necissary due to the feelings of urgency she felt.

As the four riders entered the walls of the city, Elyon quickly led them down a side street where they encountered a squad of Meridian soldiers attempting to create a barricade across the street.

"What is going on here," Elyon urgently inquired in a soft voice to the leader of the men.

"Sharvaks, my queen!" the man replied and the fear in his eyes was painfully evident, "There's about three or four of them down the street in this section of the city. I don't know what they're doing here, but they've already killed two of my men."

"Sharvaks?" Vathek replied in astonished voice, "How did they get here? We havn't seen those in over a year."

"It doesn't matter what they are doing here," Caleb said stepping forward, "We have to get them out of here before they hurt anyone else."

The rebel captain turned the soldier, "Are there people still down there?"

The frightened man nodded, "We've evacuated most of the area, but there are bound to be some stragglers."

"Alright, then," Caleb said as he took charge, "You men stay here and stop the creatures from getting out. We will take them." The head soldier nodded in understanding and Caleb turned to Elyon. "My queen, I think you should stay here. The--"

"No," Elyon cut him off in a determined voice, "I'll not stand here while my people are in danger."

Caleb and Vathek shared an uneasy glance, but they conceded to her wishes. They could tell that argueing would be futile, and the longer they waited the more time they lost.

Wic felt his respect for Elyon grow. Caleb was right, she was a strong girl. She put the needs of her people before her own safety. This knowledge instilled an amout of pride and loyalty towards the boy's newfound queen.

"Let's go then," Caleb said, and the group of four walked by the barricade and down the empty street.

The companions were silent as they walked each one keeping a vigilant eye for deadly sharvaks. Wic briefly wondered what a sharvak was, but he figured if he saw one, he would know it. The soldiers seemed to have been frightened by just the thought of them.

Suddenly, a scream sounded from further down the street and the Caleb broke into a run with the others on his heels. His sword gleamed in the midday sun as he rounded a street corner.

The three behind him came to an abrupt stop as they came into view of the scene in front of them. Two soldiers lay dead on the street stones. Their shattered weapons lay to the side as their life blood stained the ground.

Wic sensed Elyon stiffen at his side at the sight of the dead, and he had the urge to console her. However, that would have to wait, for a few meters away were the sharvaks.

Three of them were facing away from the Meridianites slowly stalking towards a woman pinned against a building. In an instant, Wic realized why these creatures had instilled such fear in the soldiers. Their green reptilian bodies were about as long as a large crocodile, but their four powerful legs and massive bodies made them twice as intimidating. Wic thought they resembled some sort of giant, viscious lizard. Each had a trail of spikes starting at their head, tracing down their necks, and ending on their tails.

Wic felt the fear of facing these ferocious beasts well up within him. This was crazy, he thought. Going at these things with nothing but a small sword would be suicide. But if something didn't happen fast, in a moment that woman would be gone.

His thoughts were shaken by the joined shout of Caleb and Vathek, and he was astonished to see the two of them charge the monsters with their weapons raised over their heads.

The three beasts turned as one at the sound of Merdianite's battle cry, and quickly prepared themselves to meet the newcomers. Wic realized that he had to make a decision. Either stay here where it was safe, or help his friends against the fearsome sharvaks. His knees shook in anticipation, and in another second he raised his own sword and charged after Caleb and Vathek. He would knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he ran while they died.

Caleb was the first to reach one of the green scaled creatures, and he brought his blade crashing down to meet its charge. The metal clashed against a scaled claw, and there was a enraged howl of pain from his opponant.

To his side, Vathak met another sharvak and his large battle axe struck the monster in the side of the head with a sweeping blow. Obviously wounded, the reptile staggered back under that savage attack, but the third was closing in on Vathek's unprotected flank. Sensing an opportunity, it lept at the blue man.

"No!" Wic shouted a warning, but he knew he would arrive too late. Yet from somewhere there was a flash of light, and Wic realized that it came from his blade. The white light shone brightly on the metal, and in another second it shot foward towards Vathek's attacker.

The beastly sharvak recoiled in pain as the light struck it above its front leg. It hissed its anger and lashed out at the new attacker. Wic raised his gleaming blade in defense, but when the beast connected, it quickly recoiled in pain. The infused blade causing a charred mark against the scales.

To his side Vathek wasn't fairing so well. The huge lizard recovered from the initial onslaught and was now pushing the large man back with a series of savage attacks.

Caleb too was struggling with his opponent, but he was holding his own. The woman against the wall realized the monsters were distracted and she rose to her feet to reveal that she had been hiding a child under her arms.

"Run," Caleb yelled to her as he grappled with his sharvak, his sword locked against its wicked claws, "get yourselves out of here!"

The terrified woman and boy stood frozen for a second and then made a mad dash towards Elyon. However, in that instant, Vathek's beast surprised him with a strike of its tail. The tail lashed out and knocked his feet out from under him, and he tumbled to the ground. In another second, the monster turned to the two frightened people trying to run by.

The mother froze in her tracks, but her son let out a terrified shriek and started backing away. The sharvak bared its fangs and lept at the woman's exposed neck.

However, the beast never reached its target. There was a blast of light and a shout from behind them.

"That's enough!" Elyon angrily yelled, "You will not come into my city and kill my people!"

The young queen was levitated ten feet off the ground with both hands pointed in front of her. Her blue gown swirled around her legs in the sudden wind brought on by her power. Sandy locks whipped passed determined eyes as she focused her energies on the three invaders.

The sharvaks rose into the air enveloped by Elyon's magic. Slowly, they drifted closer to each other until they met in midair, and finally a sphere of brilliant yellow light surrounded them. The three boys below shielded their eyes, and when it faded, the sharvaks were gone.

Elyon floated to the ground and offered a shy smile to her friends, as Wic looked at her with a sense of awe. He hadn't seen anything like that before. Caleb walked toward Elyon giving her a smile of his own, but the group was distracted by a sudden snarl to their right.

They all looked up to see a fourth sharvak just as it pounced from a rooftop at the young boy standing by himself. In a second it would be on top of the boy, and Wic realized that he was closest. The others wouldn't reach him in time.

Without a second thought, he jumped towards the boy and for a dreadful moment, thought the beast would reach him first. However, he reached the young boy and pushed him to the side just as he felt the sharvak's teeth clamp down on his unguarded shoulder.

The pain exploded in Wic's head as the he and the creature hit the ground in a tumble. The sharvak ended up on top and pinned him to the ground. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion as he saw a clawed hand moving down towards his face.

The Keeper of the Tear raised his hand and placed it on the creature's neck. He felt the energy flowing inside of him as the claws moved closer to his face. The energy exploded from his fingertips, and white light shot out from the back of the monster's neck.

Numbly, Wic felt the the sharvak slump against him as the white flash faded. Then everything went black.

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Phobos surveyed the vast host that had gathered at the base of this fortress. In the midday sun, legions of sinister creatures and beings stood in slightly uneven ranks across the landscape.

The prince alowed himself a thin smile. The turnout had been larger and quicker than he had expected. It was almost as if the wicked things of Meridian longed from someone to lead them back into an age of darkness. It was this hope that drove them all to answer the call of Phobos.

To his right he saw his army of sharvaks hissing and eyeing the other creatures with hungry eyes. He noticed that a few of the beasts had bloodied claws and snouts. It seemed as if in their trek across Meridian to reach him, they had already caused some destruction.

In all the host gathered before him these lizard like creatures would be his spear point for his attack. They would break the spirit of the Merdianites as entire armies fell before their viscious attacks. The reptilian creatures only numbered to about seven hundred, but each one could easily make up for about four or five regular men.

Now, he had the task of finding a suitible candidate to lead them in their conquest, and again he looked out across the wretched looking mob.

To his left and in front of him were many beings who sought to serve him. He saw a few monstrous stone constructs hulking above the ranks. These giant creatures would make excellent gate guardians for his fortress, but were far too dim witted to lead an army.

Phobos spied the inherently evil bat-like creatures perched in the back. They had flown from the high peaks of southern Meridian in answer to the call, but these too made for insuitable lieutenants.

His critical eyes barely registered the squat gremlin like creatures that had flocked to his palace in droves. These beings were of little use at all. Indeed, they had most likely come in fear rather than loyalty, and they would fill the positions of the palace slaves and nothing more.

Finally, the prince's eyes fall upon a solitary figure at the front of the lines. Phobos' breath caught in his throught as he recognized the creature. A whisperer from his old court. No, not mere whisperer. It was an annihilator.

Phobos stepped forward off his elevated podium, and glided through the air towards the figure. His rich black and purple robe billowing around him.

As he came to a rest in front of the whisperer he regonized it as Bel'ac, and his anticipation at the find increased. Bel'ac had been one of the few whisperers he created with above average intelligence. These had been special creations to lead his other annihilators, and he had been very wary of them. Ever since one of his prized whisperers, had rebelled against him and ended up leading the Merdian rebellion, he was prone mistrust the smarter ones.

Now, however, Bel'ac presented a great opportunity. Who else among this mishappen host could lead his army of sharvaks?

The annihilator dropped to one knee at his prince's approach, not looking up or speaking.

"Rise," Phobos commanded, "We have much to discuss."

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The guardian of earth stood over the prone body laying in one of the palace's luxurious beds. The blonde beauty's long golden hair hung past her face as she squinted in concentration. Her hands hovered over the shoulder of her patient, and gradually she felt warmth creep into her fingers.

This was the part she had always hated. Still new to the whole healing aspect of her power, it always left her feeling drained and slightly light headed. Nevertheless, she focused the warmth into Wic's mangled shoulder. She knew she couldn't completely heal it yet, but perhaps she could nullify the toxins from the sharvak's saliva.

Finally, after another few minutes of working, Cornelia unsteadily rose to her feet and turned to her friends.

"I've done what I can," the maiden said as she decided it was better to sit than try to stand. She sat at the foot of the bed and continued, "I think that should speed up his recovery at any rate."

"Thank you," Elyon replied going over to her friend and resting a hand on her shoulder. She looked down at the unconscious boy on the bed with sadness in her eyes. "I messed up again. I should have stopped that fourth sharvak before it could attack. I was careless."

"Don't say that Elyon," Will interjected, "If it was anyone's fault it was ours for not getting there in time to help you. That thing looked viscious."

Matt and the guardians had arrived just in time to see to fourth sharvak bury its teeth into Wic's shoulder. Even though he had managed to kill the thing, he'd been out ever since.

"It wasn't anyone's fault," Caleb said looking around the room. The group consisted of the five guardians, Matt, Elyon and himself. The eight of them had left Vathek to take care of the situation and had rushed Wic to the palace. The rebel leader continued, "I think he knew what he was doing, and he wouldn't want anyone blaming themselves," he leveled his eyes with Elyon's, but she looked away.

"Well, he's either crazy or really brave," Irma said slightly subdued for once, "Jumping in front of that monster like that."

The others all nodded in agreement, and were silent for a moment.

Taranee was the one to break their brooding, "Now that we're all together, I think we should go over what our plan is before we have to get back to Earth," the fire guardian exchanged a look with Will and added, "and we have something we should probably tell you, too."

"Right," Elyon looked up from the ground, "So far, there havn't been any really important developements. That is, unless you count the four sharvaks."

"We've sent patrols throughout the countryside in search of anything out of the ordiniary," Caleb continued, "We're looking for anything that might give us some clues, but so far no one has reported back with anything."

"This puts us in a bad situation," Will said as the thought, "We have to go back to Earth, and it will be hard for us to come check in on you all of the time."

"The Oracle will be watching, won't he?" Elyon inquired and the guardians again exchanged a nervous glance.

Taranee lowered her voice conspiratorial, "That's kind of what we wanted to talk to you about."

Irma and Hay Lin gave an exasperated sigh. Clearly, the two of them didn't share the other three's concern.

"I think you guys are being kinda silly," Irma said but she let her friend continue.

"While in Kandrakar on our way here for this visit, things just seemed a little weird," Tarnee looked to Will for support.

However, it was Cornelia who spoke next, "It's almost like the Oracle was surprised to see us going to Meridian. He even tried to discourage us from going a little."

"Like how?" Elyon inquired her curiosity piqued, and oddly, she felt a small amount of unease growing inside of her.

"He told us that if Meridian needed help he would have summoned us, and that we needn't endanger ourselves unneccisarily," Will supplied, "I'm not sure what he meant by that. He finally agreed to let us go this time once we told him we wanted to see how Wic was doing."

"I sounds to me," Caleb said and the others were surprised to hear the harshness in his voice, "that the Oracle doesn't want endanger his precious guardians, but he'd let Meridian fight her own battles."

"Don't talk like that, Caleb," Elyon said, "The Oracle has always been our friend. Why would he abandon us?"

"The council already abandoned you once, Elyon," he replied, "They condemned you to prison in the Tower of Mists."

"That wasn't their fault," Hay Lin objected, "They were under that control of--"

Her sentance was cut off by a small groan from Wic. The group's attention shifted to the boy as he opened his eyes, and pushed himself to a sitting position.

"I'm not so sure," he managed to say, for he had recently awoken to catch the last bit of their conversation, "Remember when I was there and he explained to me about the Tear of Meridan? He was hiding something."

"What do you mean?" Elyon asked, but looked away as Wic turned to her.

"I mean, he wasn't telling me something," the boy shrugged and immediately winced at the pain the movement caused, "I don't know. It's just something I've always been able to pick up on."

Will reluctantly nodded in agreement, "I kind of picked up on that too. It's like he--"

The red head stopped talking as the Heart of Kandrakar suddenly came to life on her chest. She looked from the crystal to her friends, "They're summoning us."

"You'd better go," Elyon urged, but her eyes showed her apprehension.

"We'll try to be back tomorrow," Cornelia promised, "But after that we have another week of school to look foward to."

Matt and the guardians gave their good-byes once again and stepped away from their friends. The three Merdianites watched them dissapear from their world, yet this time Wic didn't feel so alone as he looked up at his two new friends standing over him.

He noticed that Elyon looked sad, however, and again he felt a twinge of guilt for the way he had treated her for most of the day.

"This doesn't look good for us," Caleb said thoughtfully, "If we can't trust Kandrakar, then we really are on our own in this."

Wic rose to his feet surprising his two companions. He shrugged off their attempts to make him rest, and tied a loose sling around his arm. He smiled at them both, but still Elyon would not meet his eyes.

"We'll get through it," he stated with confidence, "After how I saw you guys handled those sharvaks today, I don't think there's anything that can stop us."

Caleb managed a smile of his own, and then broke into a laugh, "You know, you're right. With bravery like you showed today, we just might be alright."

"You were very brave," Elyon commented quietly still looking at the floor, and both Wic and Caleb reguarded her uncertainly.

Wic met Caleb's eye and shrugged, and again winced at the pain. Caleb laughed at the sight dispelling the potentially awkward moment.

"Come on," he urged, "Dinner is only a few hours away. Let me give you a proper tour of the palace."

Wic grinned, "Sounds good to me. Are you coming?" he directed the question to Elyon.

The girl looked surprised for a moment, but then shook her head, "I have to take care of some things. Being queen isn't always an easy job," she sighed and left he boys in the room.

Caleb looked a little diminished at the thought that she wouldn't be joining them, but he quickly recovered his grin and threw Wic a fresh shirt.

"Let's go."

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The congregation of Kandrakar met the guardians as they arrived in the Council Hall. The Oracle stopped his uncharacteristic, agitated pacing when they appeared in their usual flash of purple light, and he began to breath a bit easier.

"What'd you need us for," Irma said a little impatiently and to the displeasure of Endarno.

"Such impudence," he muttered but silenced himself at gesture from the Oracle.

"It is time for you to return to Earth," the bald man said, "Hay Lin's parents have started to worry, and are looking for her. If you all don't show up somewhere soon, I fear you could be in a for some trouble."

Hay Lin groaned, "I wish they wouldn't be such worry-warts all the time."

However, the guardians accepted the news and quickly sped off to their lives on Earth. Once they had left, the Oracle and his two advisors left the Hall. None, spoke until they were out of earshot of the council.

"Are you sure this is the best course of action?" Yan Lin asked, "The guardians and their friends have always proven themselves in the past."

The Oracle didn't answer immediately. He seemed to be thinking.

"The situation is nothing like anything either of you have ever experienced before," his wise eyes misted over as past memories plagued him, "We cannot risk losing the guardians too. You will have to trust me on this."

Yan Lin nodded in understanding, "I just pray that you are right."

"So do I," he replied sadly, "So do I."

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Caleb had already shown Wic most of the palace when he stopped the tour in front of two large double-doors. The rooms along the hallway around these doors appeared to be much smaller and less important.

"Why are we stopping here?" Wic inquired as he rested a hand on the smooth wood, "What's this room?"

"This," the taller boy replied, "is Elyon's bed room."

"Ah, well, I guess that explains why we stopped here," Wic tossed his friend a teasing wink.

Caleb actually flushed slightly which only served to broaden the grin on Wic's face.

"Dont worry," Wic assured, "Your secret's safe with me, but I really think that you should tell her how you feel."

Now Caleb's face broke into a smile of his own, "You're teasing me about a girl, but there's gotta be someone you have your eye on. Maybe someone from back home?"

Wic paused to think before shaking his head, "It's funny. Back on Earth, I never really thought about girls like that. For some reason there was something else that always seemed more important."

Caleb eyed the other boy thinking that he slightly understood what Wic meant. It wasn't long ago that he hadn't really had the time for girls either. As leader of the rebellion, his heart had been sworn to a girl he had never even met before. Everything else just didn't seem to compare.

"Besides," Wic finished as he looked around, "Earth was never my home. This is home."

Caleb threw his arm around Wic's neck, "You have a point there. And who knows, maybe you will find yourself a nice girl here once everything gets sorted out."

The two boys broke into a chorus of laughter, but were quickly cut off when one of the large doors suddenly opened, and Elyon walked through. She stopped short at the sight of the boys, and for a moment they wondered if she had overheard their conversation. However, that thought was dispelled when she spoke.

"Oh, hi," she greeted, "I didn't know I'd have an escort to dinner."

Caleb glanced at one of the strange Meridian clocks hanging on the wall.

"Is it that time already? Time really goes fast when you're having fun," he remarked throwing a look at Wic.

The injured boy nodded in agreement, and Elyon said, "From that laughing, it certainly sounded like you were having fun. Care to fill me in on the joke?"

Caleb suddenly looked flustered, "I,uh...We."

"We were just going to dinner," Wic supplied for him, "And I can say that after a day like today, I'm starving."

Elyon looked suspiciously at Caleb, and Wic noticed that she seemed to be avoiding looking at him. However, she finally nodded in consent.

"Great," Caleb said hurridly, "Let's go." And the three of them headed towards the royal dining room.

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Dinner turned out to be a much less pleasant affair than breakfast has been. The only ones at the table tonite were the three that had walked from Elyon's room. Vathek was overseeing some details on the sharvak investigation, and both of Elyon's parents had gone out of the city on some errand.

On top of everything, the storm that had been kept at bay all day had finally broken out again in full fury. The torrents of rain beat against the glass balcony doors, and streaks of lightning darted angrily across the darkened sky.

Elyon sat in her usual spot at the head of the large table looking miserably at her plate of food. As usual, the food was the best Meridian had to offer, but tonight she didn't feel like eating. She wished she hadn't even opened her door to come down to dinner tonite.

Just the site of Wic and Caleb laughing about a shared joke had been enough to reminde her of how alone she felt without Cornelia or her other friends here, but to add insult to injury she felt that the joke had been made at her expense. Why else would the boys try to cover it up so awkwardly?

She looked up at Caleb who was talking to Wic around mouthfuls of food about another useful trick he could pull with a sword. The two of them certainly had made fast friends. It was almost like watching two brothers converse with eachother.

Silently, she wondered how they managed to relate to eachother so well. Maybe if she had been more helpful like Caleb, Wic would have warmed up to her as well.

She jumped at the explosion of thunder that startled her from her thoughts.

"Aren't you hungry?" The question came from Wic, and she looked up to see him eyeing her full plate.

Elyon shook her head, "I think I must be tired."

Caleb immediately looked concerned, "You should try to get some extra sleep tonite. If you keep staying up so late, you're going to lose your strength."

_What strength?_ Elyon thought to herself. _I'm weak, and I know it. Sometimes I wonder why I'm even allowed to be queen._

However, she simply nodded, "I think you're right. I'm going to try to get some rest."

The young queen pushed her elegant chair out from the table and left the boys to finish their food.

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A few hours later Wic was alone in his room. After Elyon had left, he and Caleb had finished up, and the dark haired Meridianite had taught Wic how to play a new game. It involved tossing several brightly colored sticks at small targets on the ground a few feet away. The goal was to get a stick matching the color of the target to stand upright upon it.

The game was maddeningly addictive, and it had taken several hours for the boys to grow tired of it. All the while the two had talked about Wic's new home of Meridian. Caleb filled him in on more details of Phobos' horrible reign, and of the battle to liberate their world.

Wic found that as he listened to the stories, he grew very proud to be a part of this world that had such a rich history of fighting for what was right. He also found his respect for Elyon grow as Caleb pationately related how she had defeated her brother and sacrificed a measure of her power to heal the land.

But another thought now plagued him as he lay on his back staring at the ceiling. The way he had treated his new queen when he had first arrived was driving guilty spikes into the pit of his stomach. He had no excuse now for his actions, and he felt that Elyon had glimpsed his feelings.

Perhaps that was why she avoided looking at him or talking to him. Afterall, he couldn't blame her.

Restlessly, he sat up and paced around the room in his bare feet. The view outside the window offered no comfort, as the violent storm still ruled the night sky.

Running a hand through his dirty-blonde hair, Wic realized that he needed to clear his head. There was only one thing he knew that could help. Silently, he opened his door and slipped into the deserted hall.

The ambience that seemed to light the corridors during the day was gone, and the only dim light came from lanterns spaced along the ceiling. The dim lighting didn't bother Wic, for he had often walked the streets of Heatherfield at night when he needed to clear his head. He doubted this would be any different.

The boy drifted down the halls, his bare feet making no noise against the cool marble as he tried to banish the thoughts of guilt. Briefly, he wondered what it must have been like for Elyon when she first came here. She hadn't known a soul. Even Caleb had been thought to be dead at the time.

He shuddered slightly to himself. For most girls, something like that would have been too much. Indeed, she must have a very strong character to leave everything she knew and come to a world where nothing was familiar.

He was shaken from his thoughts at the steady tromp of boots coming from farther down the hall. It sounded as if one of the palace's patrols was coming in his direction. Not wishing to be questioned or deterred from his late night walk, Wic quickly ducked behind one of the decorative pillars against the wall.

A few seconds later two guards marched past his hiding place, talking boredly to each other. Wic breathed easier once they passed him by, and relished in the thrill that the brief adventure had brought.

Once again free of distractions he wandered down more halls and corridors and allowed his thoughts to take him once again. His feet carried him while he pondered his situation and the day's events, and he didn't really care where they led him, until he realized where he was.

As he looked at the large double-doors, he found he had absently wandered to the source of his troubled thoughts. It was almost as if Elyon's room and beckoned part of him here, and he had the sudden urge to push open the doors and set things straight with the girl.

That, however, would be crazy. How would he explain to her that he had simply woken her up just to tell her that he was sorry? Hadn't she had commented at supper about how tired she was?

Just then, he heard a faint sniff near the large window at the end of he hallway. The boy froze realizing he was not alone. As he peered through the dim corrider he could make out someone sitting against the wall gazing out the window at the raging tempest.

With a start, he recognized Elyon's small form. The girl was facing away from him, and every now and then she would dab at her eyes with the corner of her white night gown.

Wic realized that if she saw him, he would be hard pressed to explain his presence outside her door in the middle of the night. And on top of it all, he had stumbled across her while she was having a private cry.

Slowly, he began to back away. It would be best if she never knew he had been here tonite.

The Tear, however, seemed to have other plans. As soon as Wic took a step backward, the crystal resting against his chest fluttered and gave off a soft shimmering sound. The boy grabbed the crystal in an attempt to cover the glow with his hands, but the sound had alerted Elyon down the hall.

She quickly spun around, "Who's there?" She called out to the darkness.

Inwardly, Wic sighed. There'd be no easy escape now.

"It's me," he replied as he stepped into the soft glow of lantern light, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you."

"What are you doing here?" she asked rising to her feet. Behind her, a flash of lightning briefly illuminated her in full. She had taken out her usual braids and allowed her sandy hair to fall around her shoulders, and the thin material of her gown allowed the flash of light to betray the shadowed form of her body underneath it.

Wic suddenly flushed and was thankful that the dim lighting would hide his embarrassment.

"I..." he stammered, "I was just going for a walk. Trying to clear my head."

Elyon approached him and as she, herself, stepped into the lantern's glow Wic could see that she had, indeed, been crying. Her eyes were slightly puffy around the edges, and her cheeks were still damp with moisture. The site was enough to break the boy's heart, and shamefully he wondered if the tears had anything to do with the way he had treated her.

"My Queen," he began, "I--"

"Are you going to start calling me that too?" she asked sadly.

"Calling you what?" Wic inquired in confusion.

"My Queen, Light of Meridian, Queen of Light. The titles everyone calls me. It took me months to get Caleb to call me by my real name," she looked down at the floor, "And even now he'll only call me Elyon when we're with friends."

The young boy regaurded the girl in front of him. He had never imagined that she felt this way, but it made sense to him. Afterall, she was, after everything was said and done, just a young girl from Heatherfield. The realization suddenly made Wic feel much closer to Elyon. The two of them were, in many way, in the same position. She, however, just had to deal with much more attention and responsibilities due to her status.

"I guess it's a better name than I deserve from you," she sighed as she began to walk past him, and her words struck a dagger into Wic's heart.

He caught her arm as she walked by and turned her to face him.

"Elyon," he said calling her by her name, "I need to tell you something."

She looked up at him in surprise but allowed him to continue.

"I'm sorry," the boy began, "I'm sorry for the way I treated you when I first came here. A part of me wanted someone to blame for my dad's death, and you were the one closest to your brother," Wic paused as his guilt churned within him, "But you don't deserve that. I know that you're nothing like your brother, and there was no reason to treat you that way. If you want, I'd really like the chance to start over and be your friend."

Elyon looked even more surprised at his confession and for a moment was at a loss for words. The boy and girl stared at eachother for a tense second, and then, Elyon broke into a fresh set of tears and threw her arms around Wic.

She cried her joyful tears into his chest and sobbed, "Then you don't hate me?"

A little awkwardly Wic drew her away from him and delicately wiped her moist cheeks with his uninjured hand.

"No," he grinned at her, "how could I hate you?"

She flashed a smile back at him with her beautiful, white teeth, and Wic was suddenly aware of the closness of their bodies. Images of the shadow of her body illuminated by the lightning flashed through his head, and he again flushed wonding if the dim light covered it this time.

He was saved from embarassment by a low rumble from Elyon's stomache. Both of them paused for a second and then burst out in a fit of laughter.

"I skipped dinner, remember?" she explained placing a hand over the source of the noise, "I guess that wasn't such a good idea."

"Well, there's bound to be left over food around here somewhere," Wic offered, "Let's go get you something."

The young queen giggled, "We cant. What would the guards say when they saw the two of us running around the castle this late at night?"

Wic smiled at the image of Elyon trying to explain to the guards why the Queen of Merdian was sneaking around the hallways at night.

"That's the fun of it," he said, "We'll just have to sneak by them. How do you think I got this far from my room?"

Elyon seemed to consider it before finally giving in, "Okay, I'll lead the way."

The girl led them down several hallways and two flights of stairs before they encountered anyone. They both froze at the familiar tromp of boots against the marble flooring.

"Quick, back here," Wic whispered as he pulled her behind a hanging, curtain tapastry against the wall. The two of them pressed against eachother and tried to quiet their breathing as the patrol approached.

The two guards seemed to be as bored with their routine as the two Wic had seen earlier, and they walked right on by the hidden pair without missing a step.

As soon as the sound of their footfalls had faded, Elyon again took the lead. It was the quick navigation of two more flights of stairs that finally led them to their destination.

The palace kitchens were dark and desereted, and Wic looked around but couldn't locate a lantern or torch of any kind.

"Let me take care of that," Elyon said quietly, and a ball of light suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of her.

"You'll have to teach me that one," Wic said staring at the floating luminescence.

The girl laughed, "That's an easy one. All you have to do is imagine the light how big and how bright you want it, and it just pops up."

Wic did as he was instructed, and with a second of concentration, he had managed to summon a light source of his own, "Wow, neat trick."

She smiled her approval and said, "Now, let's get some food."

The two new friends busied themselves with gathering food. It had been hours since dinner, and Wic was slightly hungry himself, so when they had brought their meal together, he ate along with Elyon.

The boy kept peeking glances at Elyon when she looked down at her food, and he wondered how he hadn't noticed how beatiful she was before. As soon as those thoughts entered his head, he quickly banished them, and guiltily looked down at his own food.

Those thoughts wouldn't lead him anywhere good. Caleb had told him how he felt about Elyon, and if Wic allowed feelings of his own to arise, then he felt like he was betraying his friend.

"Thank you," Elyon said after they had finished and were casually talking to each other, "I don't think I've had fun like this in a long time. It feels good, just to feel like a normal girl again, hiding from my parents."

Wic smiled at her a stifled a yawn behind his hand, "Any time you feel up for another midnight snack, you know where to find me."

"We should get back now," Elyon sighed, "The morning will be here soon, and it's already hard enough for me to get up early."

Wic agreed, and the two stealthily made their way away from the kitchens back towards Elyon's room. They encounted two more patrols, and once they even had to jump into an abandoned closet to avoid detection. However, they made it back unscathed.

"Thanks again," Elyon said standing in her doorway with one door ajar, "I'm really happy to have you as a friend."

"Sorry it took me so long," Wic replied and he wished he could spend more time with the girl about to close the door.

Suddenly he remembered something, "Earlier, what was it you were crying about by the window?"

The young queen suddenly looked up as if she had just remembered something, and Wic thought he glimpsed fear in her eyes. She paused before answering, "Part of it was because I thought you hated me, and we'd never be friends," she admitted.

"And the other part?"

"The storm," she murmered looking fearfully at the window at the end of the hall, "Ever since I was little, they've scared me very much."

She looked down, and as if to emphasize the point, an explosive crack of thunder shook the palace. Elyon jumped and clung to Wic's arm. Shame was etched in her face along with her fear.

"Hey," Wic comforted, "don't worry about it. We all have our fears. It doesn't make you any less of a person to admit it."

She looked at him with gratitude only to be jarred by another blast of thunder. Her grip grew tighter on the boy's arm.

"Please," she whispered, "will you stay with me, just until I fall asleep?"

Wic hesitated but then consented, "Of course, I will."

Elyon led him into her large room and closed the door before climbing into her bed. As Wic looked around the dark room, he could make out that it was definately a room fit for a queen, but most of his attention was captivated by the girl settling under the covers.

He sat down next to her on her large, elegant bed trying to fight off his own fatigue. Behind her pulled curtains, lightning flashed and was followed by another chorus of thunder.

Wic grabbed Elyon's hand and whispered, "It'll be alright. Nothing will happen to you here."

Her heavy eyelids drooped closed as she was enveloped in a sense of security of knowing she was with someone else, and Wic's eyelids mimicked the movement. His last thought before he too fell asleep was of how beautiful she was.

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**Author's Notes: **Fun times are ahead. Is there a romance budding between Elyon and Wic? What about Caleb? Stay tuned to find out ;-P

Also, due to the fact that the story has found a bit of popularity, I'm in the market for a beta reader and a fan artist. I would prefer the beta to be reasonably skilled with grammar and spelling, and be able to tell me where the story doesn't seem to flow very well. Anyone who is interested, feel free to send me a Private Message. Thanks alot!


	6. Complicated Love

Chapter 6

Bel'ac looked up at the early, morning sun and allowed its golden rays to warm his face. It had been a long time since he had been able to show his face in broad daylight without the fear of being discovered by Elyon's troops. But now, he feared nothing. The scent of destruction and vengance was in the air. All he had to do was reach out and grasp hold of it.

"Move out!" he bellowed the command as he lowered his face, and his column of sharvaks prowled forward. Perhaps column was not the best word to describe the army of beasts. Indeed, they more resembled a massive pack following their packleader than a neatly odered regiment.

The whisperer urdged him mount into a quicker pace and the sharvaks followed suit. They would have a small journey ahead of them before they would encounter the first phase of Phobos' grand conquest.

Inwardly, Bel'ac's spirit exaulted as he remembered his meeting with the Dark Prince. Phobos had confided in his loyal whisperer what he had in store for Meridian's traitors, and Bel'ac had the honor of initiating the first bloodshed.

He and the sharvaks would be the prince's spear point that would crush the opposer's fighting spirit, and they would be a part of the dagger that would shear away from Elyon and the wretched Guardians all that they held dear.

The thoughts of retribution spurred the whisperer to ride faster, and the reptilian army broke out into a run. However, one aspect of Phobos' plan eluded his understanding. He had been ordered not to harm the Earth child who wielded the Tear of Meridan.

Of course, Elyon and the Guardians were not to be harmed until Phobos had his way with them, but why shelter this other child? Bel'ac shrugged to himself, perhaps he would do his prince a favor and allow his blade to slip over the boy's neck.

Yes, that would make more sense. Eliminating such a potential threat would be the wisest course of action.

With bloodlust burning in his eyes, Bel'ac looked at the horizen ahead.

_I'm coming for you Wic Wislow._

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Wic Wislow didn't immediately open his eyes as he awoke. Groggily, he allowed his mind to register the sounds and scents that assaulted his conscious thinking. It wasn't long before he realized something was amiss.

He had fallen asleep at a strange angle, his face buried in the bed sheets. A sweet smelling aroma greeted him, and his eyes shot open as he recognized the scent. He knew that smell. It belonged to Elyon's perfume. Quickly, he sat up as last night's events came rushing back to him.

This wasn't good. This couldn't be good. He had fallen asleep in the Queen of Meridian's room, and on her bed.

_On her bed while she was in it!_ Wic realized with alarm.

The boy looked down at the bed where Elyon had fallen asleep last night only to see that she was no longer there. Her covers had been thrown back and the bed was empty.

_Where is she? She must have woken earlier and left me to sleep. What time is it anyways?_ Wic looked at the odd Meridian clock on the wall. He still hadn't learned to read them yet.

Just then he realized that the sound of running water had been going during his entire inner monologue. The sound came from a door that stood slightly ajar across the room, and Wic realized that it must be Elyon's bathroom.

The running water could only mean one thing, that she was taking her morning shower, and Wic knew that he was in a precarious situation. Spending the night in Elyon's room was bad enough, but what would he say to people if they found he had been there while she showered? What would he say to Caleb?

Wic rose to his feet and started walking towards the door, determined to leave before anything embarassing could happen. Perhaps he could get back to his room before anyone noticed where he was.

However, just as he had reached the middle of the room the sound of the running water stopped, and Wic froze. He didn't have time to react or take another step towards his escape, for Elyon then emerged from the bathroom.

The girl was clad only in a small white towel wrapped around her, and she was in the process of drying her hair with another towel as she walked into the room.

The young queen also froze as her eyes locked with Wic's.

"Wic!" she stuttered, "I-I thought you were still asleep. Y-you just looked so peaceful, I thought I'd let you sleep a little longer."

The boy took in the sight of the near naked girl standing before him. Her wet, sandy locks clung to her tanned skin, and her slender legs went dangerously high before being covered by the white fabric. Wic immediately felt his face burning and he knew the bright morning sun wouldn't hide it this time.

Now, Elyon too began to blush. Her cheeks turned a bright read, and the sudden color even made its way down her neck.

"I-I'm sorry," Wic apologized, "I'd better go."

Elyon nodded and the boy awkwardly turned to leave as quickly as he could. He did a quick peek outside the door to make sure no one saw him as he left, and broke into a run down the marble hallway.

"See you at breakfast," he heard Elyon yell just before the door closed, and he couldn't help but smile to himself.

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The five guardians were once again accompanied by Matt when they arrived in Kandrakar. A glance would have told that not everyone in the group was accustomed to being awake at such an early hour on their weekend. However, the girls had long ago learned to forego certain comforts in their situation.

As soon as the the pristine, white halls materialiezed in front of them, they could tell that something was different. The Council Hall was empty save for the Oracle, Endarno, and Yan Lin, and the caretaker of Kandrakar's expression seemed to be carefully concealed.

"Guardians," the wisened man greeted, "what brings you here today?"

Will, ever the leader, answered for the group, "We're headed back to Meridian. If there's anything we can do to help Wic find his mom, we need to help."

The Oracle paused before giving his reply, "I do not believe that is a wise decision."

The group of friends glanced at eachother, each thinking the same question.

"But, why?" Taranee asked, "Why shouldn't we help our friends."

"Things on Meridian are as they should be," he answered, "I assure you that I am keeping a careful eye on the progress of young Wic, and there is nothing more you can do for him at the moment. I believe you should try to focus on your normal lives for now."

Again the five girls and boy looked at eachother.

"What is this?" Matt demanded, ignoring the restraining hand Will placed on his arm, "What aren't you telling us? You've been trying to keep us from going to Meridian since we left the first time."

The Oracle's concealed expression seemed to fade a little at the boy's words.

"I can see that my face is an open book," he conceded, "I did not wish to alarm you, but I believe that the threat does not lie on Meridian alone. I think that the calamity that is approaching will strike at you as well."

"You, you mean back on Earth?" Hay Lin asked apprehensively, "What about our families? Are they safe?"

"We don't know yet," Yan Lin answered her grandaughter.

"Which is why it is best for you to remain close to home," the Oracle finished and allowed his words to sink in.

After another pause, Will asked, "Will you send word to Caleb, Wic, and Elyon why we won't be there?"

"Of course," he said, "All will be taken care of. Now go, and keep a watchful eye."

The guardians and their friend nodded and in another second were gone.

Endarno reguarded his companions, "Do you think they believed it?"

"In part," the Oracle replied, "But in part, it was true."

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Elyon found that Wic and Caleb were already seated at the breakfast table when she finally managed to get dressed and her hair dried. The two boys were alone at the table again, as her parents were still away.

As she entered the room, they both rose to their feet and greeted her with a warm smile. Wic gave her a secretive wink, and she felt her cheeks turn a little red as her heart gave another strange flutter. However, she was relieved at the gesture. She hadn't been sure how Wic would handle the embarassing situation earlier, but the wink banished any fears.

"Sit down," she chidded, "How many times do I have to tell you, Caleb, that you don't need all these formalities?"

Caleb's smile broadened and he replied, "As you wish, my Queen."

Elyon opened her mouth in exhasperation before she realized she was being teased.

"Alright, alright," she conceded, "Let's just eat."

As ever the food was delicious, and Elyon even felt quite rested inspite of the late night. It was almost as if some of the heaviness that weighed on her heart had disappeared with Wic's visit the other night.

So he didn't think she was weak or incompetent even if she sometimes felt that way. Having a new friend to talk to certainly would brighten her day today.

The young queen looked over at the boy with dirty blonde hair and dark blue eyes, and began to wonder at the circumstances of his arrival. Just a few days earlier he had been dumped here in a new world. Yet, looking at him she couldn't find a trace of doubt in him.

His eyes were bright as he laughed at a story Caleb had just told, and a quick grin was always on his face. His shoulders were set, and his jaw betrayed no weakness. How could he adapt so well? Surely, he had his doubts and fears.

Her eyes strayed down to the pendant hanging at his chest. The tear shaped crystal glistened in the morning sun, but the light was not reflected back out. It was almost as if the Tear absorbed the light.

_What do we know about the Tear? _she thought to herself. _What kind of power does it possess? It's supposed to be Meridian's last line of defense, but so far we havn't seen that much from it._

Just then, Wic caught her gaze and looked down at his pendant, "So what do you say you give me some magic practice today?"

"I was just thinking the same thing," she replied, "If both our powers are connected to Meridian, then I think that I can show a thing or two about accessing them."

"Well, it looks like you get saved from another beating for today," Caleb teased.

"Give me time," Wic challenged, "I give you a run for your money soon enough."

"I'll look forward to it. Now, let's get out of here. It looks like the storm's gone for good, and the day is shaping up to be a beautiful one."

The three companions left the dining hall and made their way to the royal stables. Three horses from the day before were waiting and ready for them as they entered, and Elyon took the reins of her white mare from a young stable boy.

She gave the boy a warm smile as she hoisted herself onto the elegant animal. The horse seemed to recognize the girl and gave a happy whinney when she scratched it between the ears.

Once Caleb and Wic had mounted their own chestnut red steeds, the proud beasts carried them out the broad stable doors and onto the teeming streets. Each hose had a single large horn potruding from the middle of their forheads and were excellent chargers for the thick battle. However, today they served only as regal transportation.

As the small party made their way down the city streets, Elyon noticed that many of the passer-byes stopped and watched. This was not to be unexpected, of course. She often drew crowds when she left the palace, but this time many of the on-lookers were staring at her two companions as well.

The young queen turned to the boys following her, "Word travels fast. It seems that news of how you saved those people from the sharvaks is already common knowledge."

Caleb looked up in surprise and a quick grin came to his lips, and he tossed a wave to the crowd. Wic too managed to greet the throng of people that was growing ever larger.

The two boys pulled their mounts up on either side of Elyon, and Wic commented, "You must be used to this kind of attention, huh?"

Elyon nodded, "Both Caleb and I have had our share of attention. Honostly, I don't really care for it, but look at the effect it has on the people," she motioned toward the crowd, "People need their heroes to look up to in hard times, and soon, I fear that they will need them more than ever before."

She smiled to a young girl that was waving frantically as they approached, and pulled her horse to a stop.

"Aww, what a cute little lady you are," Elyon said kindly, "Is there something I can do for you?"

The young girl nodded energetically, "My mama wanted me to ask you which one of these boys you're planning on marrying."

Elyon stiffened in surprise, and she felt her face burning.

"Kera!" the girl's obviously flustered mother exclaimed, "I told you to say no such thing!"

"But, mama," she whined, "Yes you did. You said to go on over there and ask Queen Elyon which one she was going to--"

"That's enough!" the mother scolded before turning bright red herself, "I'm sorry, Lady Elyon, I don't know what gets into the head of this child some times."

Elyon smiled as she recovered from the unexpected question, "Don't worry about it," she said and turned to young Kera, "These two are just my friends. And I'm very lucky to have them at my side."

"But," the girl said sounding confused, "you have to choose someone!"

"Oh hush, Kera," her mother chided, but she listened intently for what Elyon's response would be.

The Queen merely laughed, "Maybe someday," she said as she waved good-bye.

The three friends burst out in laughter when they had traveled a few yards away. But Elyon did not catch the expressions on the boy's faces. Caleb's was one of downcast disappointment. While Wic seemed to be struggling between confusion and sadness.

Her own thoughts troubled her. The question the mother had set her daughter about asking began to stir up thoughts she was not prepared to think about.

_Just friends? _she mused. Certainly her relationship with Caleb had started off as that of a friend, but over time, she had sensed it growing into something more. She knew that she had feelings for him, but she had always banished those thoughts. Surely, he wouldn't return her feelings. How could he? She was just his Queen, and he was loyal to that title above all else.

And then there was Wic. Why did her heart always seem to flutter when he caught her eye and flashed her a private smile or wink? She felt a closeness to him that she couldn't describe, and ever since last night, she felt that when he left, she wished she could spend more time with him.

Her feelings frightened her. How could she feel this way about both of them? It was stupid, why would she jeopardize the friendships she valued so much over childish thoughts?

No, her answer had been right, she realized as she peeked glances at the two boys. They were just friends, and she was very lucky to have the two of them at her side. Yet, strangely, that thought brought an amount of sadness to her.

Suddenly, somewhere amid the crowd erupted a cheer, "Hail Queen Elyon, the Keeper of the Tear, and Captain Caleb!"

"We love you, Elyon!"

"Be safe, Caleb!"

"Thank you, Wic!"

The cries followed the brooding friends as they finally exited the city gates, and they couldn't help but smile in appreciation.

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Caleb watched as Elyon put Wic through another set of excersizes so that he could test his magic. Indeed, their powers seemed to be very similar to one another. While Elyon was the Light of Meridian and when she wore the Crown of Light, her power was immense, she rarely tapped the deepest parts of it.

As Caleb thought about it, he could only remember once when she truly gave a display of her great strength. Right after she had defeated Phobos and had worn the Crown for the first time, she had healed the entire world of Meridian just by placing her bare foot upon it.

The boy looked at the girl as she laughed at the concentrated expression one Wic's face. Strangly, a twinge of jealousy tugged at his consciousness. He quickly tried to brush the thought away, but it seemed to linger.

In an effort to distract himself he again thought about Elyon's power. It was hard to comprehend a threat being more powerful than her, yet Wic was here. The only reason why the Tear would show itself was if there was a time when Meridian couldn't stand on its own.

What could possibly be that powerful? The question slightly frightened Caleb, and he again glanced over at his two friends.

Wic had just managed to break through a magical barrier Elyon had created, but had accidentally knocked her over in the process.

"Sorry!" Wic said alarmed, "I didn't mean to do that, I guess I used a little too much power."

"It's alright," Elyon laughed as he reached down and offered her his hand. The girl grabbed his hand but instead of pulling herself up, she kicked Wic's foot and pulled him down next to her while he was off balance.

"Oops, sorry. I didn't mean to," she giggled as she started to get up.

"Yeah, sure," Wic retorted and gave her hip a soft push to knock her to the ground again.

The two of them sat in the lush green grass laughing happily to each other, and Caleb felt the twinge of jealousy rear up within him again. He looked away.

The place they had finally stopped at was a secluded meadow, that was kept green by a small brook that ran through it. The friends had stopped at the edge of the stream, and Wic and Elyon had been practicing ever since. And they had been getting far to close to each other as far as Caleb was concerned.

But what was he supposed to do about it? He couldn't just tell them to stop. What would they think of him? What would Elyon think?

Again, her words rang in his ears as he remembered what she had said the the young girl a few hours earlier. He was just a friend to her. Nothing more.

He looked down at his boots and tried to banish the depressing thoughts, but was gaining no progress. So absorbed was he in his thoughts that he didn't notice that his friends had stopped practicing until they sat down on either side of him.

"Wow, that's more of a workout than you would think," Wic commented as he tried to slow his breathing.

Caleb didn't respond and Elyon turned to look at him, "Is every thing alright, Caleb?"

He looked up, "Of course, I was just thinking. Thinking about Wic's mom," he lied, "Just wondering if she's alright."

The dark haired boy had come up with the lie for two reasons. One to get the attention off of himself, and two, to give a slight jab at Wic for getting so friendly with Elyon. It was a low blow, he knew, but he felt it was justified. He took a quick glance at the boy sitting beside him, and immediately felt guilty.

Wic's grin had vanished and he looked out across the meadow at the treeline of the forest. He seemed the be thinking very hard, and suddenly he got up and walked a few yards away from where Caleb and Elyon were sitting.

"Caleb!" Elyon whispered, "You should know better than to bring that up."

"I know," Caleb said guiltily, but he felt the need to defend himself, "It's just that I don't think we've been focusing on it enough lately. We havn't made much progress in finding anything out about her."

Elyon looked Caleb in the eye and he felt even worse, "Don't you think he realizes that? He knows there's nothing he can really do for his mother right now, and that must be killing him inside. It's amazing that he can even smile at all under the circumstances, and he doesn't need you bringing it up out of no where."

Caleb looked at Wic and knew what Elyon said was right. How could he be so insensitive? A jab at Wic's mother when he might not ever see her again was going way too far.

"You're right," he admitted, "Let me go talk to him."

Wic was sat down on a root on the bank of the stream and allowed the water to wash over his left hand. Caleb sat down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry for bring up your mom like that," he said, "I-I wasn't thinking."

"Don't be sorry," Wic said, "You're right to bring her up. I havn't done anything to go find her yet. She could be hurt, and I'm just sitting here doing nothing."

"That's not true!" Caleb tried to comfort his friend, "There's not much you can do for her, if you aren't prepared. All this training is the best thing you can do for her right now."

The shorter boy looked at his taller dark haired companion, "Are, are you sure?"

Caleb nodded his affirmation, "If you don't belive me, just ask Elyon. She'd tell you the same thing, and she usually has wise advice, even if she doesn't realize it."

Slowly, Wic nodded as well, "Yeah, she is a pretty amazing girl."

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The following weeks continued with more of the same routine. Caleb and Vathek trained with Wic three days out of the week, and Elyon worked with him three other days. One day was usually spent relaxing or studying about Meridian's history.

One thing that troubled everyone was that they had not heard from the guardians since they had last left. And the same thought was on everyone's mind, yet no one had spoken it yet. If the Oracle was for some reason abandoning Meridian, then the coming storm would be much more difficult to weather.

Wic found time to either go by very quickly or very slowly. During the day, when he was working with Caleb or Elyon, time would fly. He enjoyed the things Caleb could teach him, and he loved listening to him tell tales of past battles.

However, he especially enjoyed his time with Elyon. He had quickly caught on how to control his magic, and there was little more she could really teach him. Instead they spent their sessions practicing on one another. Steadily using stronger and stonger attacks and defenses. Often times, when they would practice within the palace, they would draw large crowds of on lookers, as their impressive display of power grew.

Although, he liked spending time with Caleb and Vathek, he felt that he was more and more often looking for ways to be with Elyon. He even felt faint twinges of jealousy when she and Caleb attended military meetings that he could not. He knew how Caleb felt about her, and he was beginning to feel ashamed of these new feelings.

Today, however, was the first time he would be able to spend time alone with the girl. Caleb and Vathek had to take one of the divisions of troops out on some advanced maneuvers, and he and Elyon were going to spend the day practicing.

When he arrived at the palace garden, he discovered that Elyon was not yet there, so he sat down on a stone bench to wait. To occupy himself he looked around at the many different plants and flowers blooming around him. Each plant was beautiful in its own way, and once again Wic was impressed with what this world had to offer.

On impulse, he reached down and plucked one of the elegant rose-like plants and examined it's pedals. Unlike the roses from earth, this flower had no thorns and the color seemed slightly diminished.

Wic rotated the rose before his eyes and concentrated on the dim pedals, and slowly a change began to occur. From the center, a spiral of colors began to seep out. A vibrant orange mixed with the light red, and a streak of purple bisected each pedal.

When he had finished he again examined the transformed flower and was pleased with his work. The once dull flower, now looked vibrant and alive.

Just then Elyon exited the palace and entered the garden. She was giving some last minute instructions to an aid, and she finally dismissed him and made her way over to where Wic was sitting.

With a start, Wic realized how exhausted she looked, and his heart went out to her.

"Sorry, I'm late," she said tiredly, "All the activity the past few days has kept me busy. There's just so much to do to try to get as ready as we can be," she paused as he saw the flash of color in his hands, "What's that you got there?"

The boy held the flower up for her to examine, and she gasped, "Wic, that's beautiful. Where did you find it?"

He smiled and offered her the delicate bloom, "I made it just for you. I thought you could use a little cheering up."

The young queen smiled back at him as she accepted the flower and began to fix it her hair. Once it was in place she asked, "How do I look?"

"You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful flower in this garden," he quickly replied without thinking.

Elyon looked up and for an awkward moment their eyes met, and Wic had the overwhelming urge to take the girl in his arms and hold her forever. However, the awkwardness of the situation won out and he looked away.

Elyon too looked away as she quietly responded, "Thank you."

Wic was surprised to catch what sounded like a hint of sadness in her voice.

The was a moment of silence as the two of them sat side by side on the stone bench amid the lush plantlife until finally Elyon spoke.

"I don't feel up to practicing today," she said tiredly, and she rested her head on Wic's shoulder.

The touch sent tingles coursing through his body, and he drank in the moment before responding.

"To tell the truth," he replied, "I was kind of hoping to spend some time in the library today. I was thinking, as old as it is, there's got to be some mention of the Tear in it."

Elyon groaned softly, "Does that mean I have to get up again?"

The boy chuckled, "You can rest in the library if you want. That is, unless you'd rather be by yourself."

Wic had added the last part to offer her a chance to get some real rest if she wanted, but he was hoping she'd come with him. He almost held his breath as he waited for her answer.

"No," she said quickly, "No, I'd rather be with you."

There was another awkward pause before she hastily added, "Because, of course, I don't think I could stand another minute of organizing the preparations."

Wic hid his disappointment at the second part of her statement behind a smile as he nodded in agreement.

"Alright, let's go then."

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AUTHORS NOTES:

Yes, I know I havn't updated in forever. But here's a small preview of what is to come.

Also, here is a piece of fanart someoen was able to draw for me. It depics Caleb, Elyon and Wic in that order. Thanks to LadyCelest for drawing it. Just copy and remove the spaces.

htt p://i8 8.ph oto buc m/albu ms/k18 2/luke ferchNT BI/Tear sfan art.jpg


	7. The Library

The Meridian library was huge. It consisted of at least three different levels, each ascending outward in a stadium style arrangement. Wall to wall was covered in shelves of age worn tomes and papers.

Some of the books were worse off than others. During Phobos' reign, he had often destroyed any piece of literature or artwork that he believed could inspire the people into rebellion or hope. The Meridianites had successfully hidden most of their greatest works from his onslaught, however, and now the library was a place of knowledge and intrigue.

Wic had spent much time here pouring over the history of his new world and searching for anything that could help him discover anything about his parents' past lives. In most cases, it led to nothing. Phobos had a way of writing his own history.

However, Wic didn't give up hope that today he might find something pertaining to the Tear. After all, it had saved Meridian twice before in ages past. Something of that magnitude must have left an imprint on history. Even if it was only regarded as a legend after such a long time.

Elyon looked around the well lit room and groaned, "More reading. I think I've been reading documents and reports for the entire morning."

Her blonde companion flashed her a grin, "Why don't you have a seat in one of those chairs over in the sun," Wic gestured to a pair of comfortable looking arm chairs that were being bathed in sunlight streaming in from one of the massive windows, "If you look like you're helping me, no one will come bother you."

The girl nodded wearily and made her way through the maze of shelves and tables of books, "Don't take too long," she called back, "I get bored when I'm by myself."

Wic grinned to himself this time and turned to survey the vast room. Deciding where to start looking was always the hardest part. After a few moments he climbed half way up one of the nearby sliding ladders and began browsing through some dust covered tomes.

Poetry, drama, music, he scanned over all those not finding what he was looking for. After a few moments, he felt frustration edge in on him. It was always the same. Thousands of books and nothing useful.

The Keeper of the Tear kicked against a bookcase and allowed the ladder to glide along the shelves. He watched the books fly past, only halfway aware of what he was seeing until something caught his eye.

Or rather, it caught his attention, he realized as he backtracked on the ladder until he found the book again. It couldn't have caught his eye because it looked no different than the musty literature surrounding it.

However, as Wic reached out and placed a hand on the black-bound cover he felt almost as if the Tear or a part of himself recognized the book. Eagerly. he retrieved it and read the title.

_Tears of Meridian._ The words were written in an older form of the Meridian language. Wic decided it would be best to let Elyon help him make it out, since he was still learning how read fluently.

Clutching the book tightly, he made his way over to where Elyon sat. Excited, he opened his mouth to tell her of his find but stopped short when he looked at her.

The young Queen had fallen asleep sitting up. For a moment, Wic stood entranced as he watched the sleeping maiden. A few strands of her sandy blonde locks had fallen out of their usual braid and lay across her face.

Her chest rose and fell rhythmically with her breathing, and her lips were slightly parted. Wic walked over quietly and looked at her peaceful face. Gone was the weariness that had etched her face a few moments before.

The boy reached out and gently brushed the hair from her face. He was overcome by a sudden surge of emotion and he barely stopped himself from leaning forward to kiss those soft, gentle lips.

_No, no no! _ He thought frantically. What was wrong with him? He couldn't feel this way about Elyon. No, Caleb loved Elyon. It wasn't possible for Wic to take advantage of his friend's trust in him.

_But Caleb hasn't made a move_. The thought edged into the boy's mind.

_That doesn't mean anything!_ He countered and banished the darker thoughts from his mind. There was no way that he would aknowledge these feelings. Elyon would be his friend and his Queen. Nothing more.

To distract himself, Wic took a seat across from the sleeping girl and open the plain black book. Immediately, he wished Elyon could help him, but he chose not to wake her and did his best to make out the ancient text on his own.

The first page began to read, _This is the tale or legend of Meridian's tears. Adrael, the first Keeper. Kanos, the second. And The Tear of Meridian, as it became known. This is a tale of the saviors of Metamore, and how they fell to the curse._

_Curse?_ Wic read the word over a few more times until he was sure he had gotten it right. _What curse?_

_The curse of the pendant that they bore. The curse that was placed upon it by Metamore's first and greatest enemy. Darkness._

Wic stopped reading and sat in stunned silence. What was this text saying? A curse on the Tear? Surely, not. There had been nothing to suggest anything was wrong with the crystal clasped by the silver and ebon hands around his neck.

So wrapped up in his thoughts, Wic nearly jumped when the library's double doors suddenly burst open. Next to him, Elyon did jump as she was roused from her nap by the sudden commotion.

They both looked up to see Caleb standing in the doorway, breathing hard as if he had ran the whole way there.

"The kingdom is under attack!" he gasped, "Sharvaks have attacked some villages in the east," the dark haired boy paused for breath, "It's an army of them."

**Now, I know this chapter might seem a bit boring. All reading and no talking... Well, I promise the next one will be more engaging, and longer too. **

**Oh, and yes I am back to updating regularly. This time for real. :P**


	8. Deceptions and Complications

Yan Lin stood on a balcony looking out at the clouds which swirled around the tranquil fortress. However, the usually calm purple clouds had grown dark and often sparked with violent energy.

"The clouds reflect the state of the universe," Endarno said as he and the Oracle joined her, "It looks as if the storm will break at any moment."

The Oracle's troubled eyes watched the foreboding clouds, "He's found the book. I suppose it was too much to hope for that it would remain hidden."

"What do you plan to do?" Yan Lin quietly inquired.

Oracle Himerish didn't answer immediately. Questioning himself once again. Questioning whether his current actions were the right ones.

_Yes. _He thought to himself. _Yes, I must do everything possible to prevent the tragedy from spreading. It cannot occur like it did before._

"We have little choice," he finally answered, "He wasn't able to discover the nature curse yet. We need to retrieve that book before he can learn the whole story."

"What if it doesn't happen like before," Yan Lin protested, "What if he can stop it?"

"No," the Oracle said firmly, "It is fate. Ever since the Tear came into existence this was the fate of its bearers. You know what happens when they try to fight it. It was his destiny ever since the pendant chose him."

The three wizened overseers of Kandrakar fell silent at the foreboding words and again looked out from the center of infinity. On all sides the thunder and lightning closed in.

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Matt Olsen strummed a note on his guitar and winced at the off-tune sound that came forth.

Joel gave him a dubious look and let out a sigh, "Matt, man, what's going on with you? You've been off for the whole day. Got something on your mind?"

"Uh, not really," Cobalt Blue's lead guitar and vocalist lied, "I must not be into it today."

Matt could tell that Joel wasn't satisfied with his answer, but luckily at that moment his pocket began to vibrate.

"Hang on," he said as he pulled out his cell phone, "It's a text from Will."

Matt opened the newly arrived message and read the words.

_Just got a call from Kandrakar. Maybe news from Wic. Will fill u in later. Plz, cover 4 us. 3 Will._

Matt sighed and put away both his guitar and cell phone, "Sorry guys, but I can't play like this. I'll meet up with you tomorrow."

The rest of Cobalt Blue shrugged in resignation. There wasn't much they could practice without Matt.

The tall boy left Joel's garage and began walking down the street. He hated not being able to go with Will and the others. For the past few weeks there had been no word about Wic or his mom. He felt like he should be doing something to help. Anything.

In frustration, he kicked a nearby trash bin. Ignoring the pain in his toe, he decided to go to Orube's house. At least he would be there when the girls got back with news.

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The five Guardians of Kandrakar arrived in their usual fashion and found the Oracle waiting for them. The overseer greeted them warmly, but the tension in the air something everyone could pick up on.

"What's the word?" Will asked as soon as everyone had a chance to orient themselves, "Is there trouble on Meridian?"

"In a sense," the Oracle replied, "Something has come up that I do not believe your friends on Meridian are aware of."

The Guardian's interest was perked and they listened intently.

"Young Wic has discovered an ancient book in the palace library. However, this is no mere book, and he does not realize the damage it could cause."

"What?" Irma questioned skeptically, "How can a book be dangerous?"

The Oracle paused before answering and all those present once again picked up on the sad aura that seemed to plague him more and more as of late.

"Knowledge can often be very destructive in the wrong hands. In any case, I want you to retrieve this book without Wic's knowledge."

"WHAT?" The five guardians exclaimed together.

"For what reason?" Cornelia demanded, "Why are you asking us to steal from a friend, even if this book is dangerous?"

"All your questions will be answered soon, but first, I must ask you to perform this task," the Oracle calmly replied, "Time is of the essence."

"Please, do not let your hearts be troubled," Yan Lin spoke up for the first time, "This is a task that must be done."

The Guardians looked at each other skeptically. No matter how they thought about it, it felt wrong to go behind Wic's back. If the book was dangerous, why not let Wic and the others know about it as well.

_Just who is this book dangerous to?_ Will thought briefly. The overseers of Kandrakar certainly seemed upset about it.

"Alright," Will said stepping forward, "We'll do it, but we expect some answers when we get back."

Will could sense that her companions were not entirely pleased with her decision, but she held her ground. They could discuss it once they left Kandrakar.

"Excellent," the Oracle said as he directed their gaze to a large crystal in the middle of the room, "As you can see, the book is in the boy's bedroom here."

As they watched the crystal began to display a fuzzy image. Gradually, the image sharpened until they realized they were seeing one of the palace's many rooms. And on a nightstand next to the bed was a black-bound, old looking book. Scrawled across the cover were some silver words in a strange language.

"These guys can see into our bedrooms," Irma whispered to Taranee, "I don't think I agreed to that in my contract."

"Do you care to tell us how you expect us to get into Wic's bedroom and steal his book without anyone noticing us?" Cornelia asked.

"I think you will find that your friends will not be in the palace today. Now, quickly, you must be on your way. We have much to prepare for here as well."

The five girls gathered around Will as she raised her hand above their heads. In another second and a flash of light they disappeared from the white halls of Kandrakar and watched as the world of Meridian formed before their eyes.

They found themselves in the throne room. However, as they looked around they saw, as the Oracle had said, Elyon, Wic, Caleb, or anyone else was nowhere to be found.

"I don't like this, Will," Taranee said, "It just doesn't feel right for us to break into Wic's room and take the book without him knowing."

"I agree," Hay Lin piqued, "Something's strange."

"I know," Will agreed and she lowed her voice, "That's why we aren't going to do exactly what the Oracle asked us to do."

"What do you have planned?" Cornelia asked as if she had guessed Will had something up her sleeve.

"Four of us will go grab the book, but one should go invisible and teletransport to wherever Wic is. I want to fill him and the others in on what's going on."

"Why does the person have to be invisible?" Irma asked curiously.

Will looked around at her friends, "You saw how Kandrakar can watch us on that crystal, right? Well, if they're watching, I don't want them to know what we're up to. We need some answers, and this might be the only way to get to the bottom of it."

"I'll go," Hay Lin offered, "I'm the fastest anyways."

The others agreed to the plan and the five of them walked towards the throne room's exit. Upon leaving the large room behind, they found the hallway outside to be much more busy. Several people were rushing by with determined or perhaps slightly fearful expressions on their faces. Also, either it was their imagination or there were many more guards patrolling.

Will stopped one small green-skinned Merdianite, "Um, excuse me. Do you know where Wic and Queen Elyon might be?"

The Merdianite looked up at her incredulously, but his expression quickly changed as he recognized her.

"Guardians of Kandrakar," he squawked, "Yes, yes, I'm sure you'd want to join them. This is most welcome news indeed. You can find them in the plains about ten miles east of here."

The little green man ran off to finish his duties and left the Guardians behind.

"What's going on here?" Taranee asked slightly apprehensive.

"I'm not sure, but we can find out everything soon," Will replied looking down the hall, "This is the way to Wic's room. Hay Lin, you'd better get going."

"Right," the small girl agreed and promptly disappeared from sight. There was a small yellow glow a second later, and the remaining girls knew she has left.

The party made their way down the busy halls until they arrived outside the wooden doors to Wic's new home.

"Alright," Will said to her friends, "Let's get this over with."

As they expected they found to doors unlocked and inconspicuously entered the room. However, what they didn't expect was to find someone else already there.

The young girl jumped as the door closed and looked up sharply.

"Oh, uh," she stammered, "I'm sorry, I didn't know Wic would be having visitors while he was away."

The girl was a young palace maid, and she had been in the middle of watering some of the plants in the corner.

"I'm Nira," she said recovering slightly, "I'm very happy to meet you Guardians."

Will smiled at the girl, "Sorry for startling you. We're just here to pick something up. We'll be leaving soon."

"Uh, Will," Cornelia called from the bedside, "There's a problem."

"What?" Will asked turning to her friend.

"The book's not here."

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Phobos strolled comfortably along the pathway in his sinister "garden." The Dark Prince had always loved plants. Especially particularly dangerous plants.

During his past reign, even his most trusted servants had been created from plants. His royal court of whisperers had been his most powerful lieutenants. They had been his royal guard, and his most powerful foot soldiers.

And so they would be again. The Prince stopped and examined one of many large sporelike pods that grew throughout his garden. He placed a hand on the pulsating membrane and caressed it almost tenderly.

His new breed of whisperers would take more time to develop. He had to be more careful. Although he needed them to have independent thought, he could not risk them rebelling against him, as one had done so long ago.

No, he would not allow a repeat of what happened with Caleb.

As Phobos walked on he smiled to himself. The subservient goblins that trailed along behind him shuddered and shivered at the sight of it, but the Prince paid them no mind. His thoughts were on the battle that was about to take place.

Be'lac had contacted and informed him that the plan was underway. The first strike on Elyon's kingdom had occurred, and the young Queen was sure to come meet the new threat that attacked her villages. But that would be when Phobos' real plan would begin.

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Elyon, Wic, and Caleb arrived at the first village along with a small detachment of the main force. They had been able to tell from a distance that the town was lost. From miles away dark plumes of smoke could be seen drifting almost lazily into the clear blue sky.

Elyon had braced herself for what the scene inside the village would look like, but still she shuddered as her white mare carried her through the main, dirt road. Walking on foot on either side of her, both Caleb and Wic noticed her movement and turned to her.

"Are you alright?" Wic who was first to reach her asked. He reached up and placed a hand on hers as she gripped the reigns. Her head turned, she did not notice the flash of jealousy and recognition in Caleb's eyes.

"I'm fine," she answered cursing to herself at the same time. She was the Queen! She shouldn't allow weakness like this to show, especially in front of her people. Why was it that she could never find the strength that was required of her?

She attempted to shrug her thoughts away and said, "Let's look for survivors."

The scene alone could have told that no survivors would be found. The sharvak attack had been brutal. House's doors and windows were caved in and their contents strewn across the floors. Merchant's stands lay crushed to pieces in the streets. And everywhere were broken and bloodied bodies.

Men, women, and children. None were spared, and many had been torn into several, grisly pieces. Elyon could only imagine the panic that must have gripped the town as the sharvaks suddenly appeared.

On top of it all, it seemed as if they were being led. This was no stray, wild pack of beasts. Sharvaks didn't burn buildings or senselessly attack two other villages. No, this was a deliberate attack. And everyone knew that the evil which threatened Meridian had finally made its first move.

"Queen Elyon, Master Wic," the trio turned at the call to see Vathek waving them over, "There's something back at the camp I think you should see."

Elyon looked at Wic, but it was clear he had no idea what the large blue man was talking about either.

"Let's go," she said to Wic, "I didn't want to see more of this scene anyways."

Wic nodded in grim agreement, "Are you coming, Caleb?"

To both Elyon and Wic's surprise Caleb did not answer but turned his horse and started heading back to the camp by himself.

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The capitol city's standing army of about five thousand troops had taken up camp just west of the closest of the attacked villages. Although, no one had seen the sharvaks since the attack, it was a good bet that they were hiding out somewhere in the surrounding foothills.

Caleb entered the command tent and found it empty. He knew Wic and Elyon would arrive soon, but he wanted to clear his head before they arrived. He couldn't explain the feeling that had welled up within him at the sight of Wic placing his hand on Elyon's, but he knew why it had been triggered.

That gentle touch, the look in his friend's eyes as he looked at the Queen, Caleb knew those mannerisms all too well. They were the ones he himself used in the company of Elyon. It was the way he communicated his untold feelings.

Now Wic, the one he had trusted with the knowledge of his feelings, had betrayed him. How could he look at Elyon that way?

The ex-rebel's brooding was interrupted by a small cough from the corner of the tent. He looked up to see no one but himself still in the large tent. As he focused on the spot from which the cough had come, he nearly jumped as Hay Lin suddenly appeared out of thin air.

"Hay Lin!" Caleb stammered, "Where'd you come from? Why are you here?"

Before the girl could answer they were interrupted as Elyon, Wic, and Vathek entered the tent.

"Caleb," Elyon began saying as she entered, "is everything alright? You--"

She stopped talking as noticed the small guardian standing in the corner.

"Hay Lin! Why are you here?"

The guardian smiled slightly unsure of where to begin, "Um, that's what I was going to ask you. Why is the army gathered here? What's going on?"

Vathek was the one who answered, "Sharvaks!" he spat, "The blasted creatures destroyed three villages before we even had a chance to know they were here. Hundreds are dead, and we're here to meet them before they can make it to the capitol."

Hay Lin stifled a gasp and a look of horror crept over her face, "But, but that's not possible. The Oracle didn't tell us anything about this."

"What?!" the three Merdianite exclaimed as one. They exchanged alarmed glances, but Caleb wouldn't look at Wic.

"What do you mean?" Elyon demanded, "We haven't had word from Kandrakar in weeks and when we need help they didn't send you?"

"If they didn't send you to help us, why are you hear?" Wic inquired.

Hay Lin looked up sharply as if this was what she had actually come to talk about, "Well, the Oracle sent us get this book from you, Wic. He said that it was dangerous and that we weren't supposed to let you know we'd taken it."

"The book from the library," Wic muttered as he realized what she meant, "I found it yesterday. It was the only book I could find that actually had any information about the Tear in it."

"Why would Kandrakar do this to us?" Vathek said in a subdued voice, "What are they hiding?"

"I don't know," Hay Lin replied apologetically, "We just felt that it was wrong to take the book from you without you knowing. The Oracle doesn't know I'm here."

Elyon wrapped her friend in a hug, "Thank you. I don't know what's all going on here, but we can figure it out later. Right now, we have bigger problems to focus on. We have to defeat the sharvaks, or they will have free reign of the lands surrounding the capitol. Many more people will die."

Everyone in the tent except Caleb nodded in agreement.

"Alright, I need to get back to the other girls and tell them what's going on. If all goes well, we'll be back to help you in a few minutes."

Again, nods of agreement were exchanged, and Hay Lin offered a brief good-bye and vanished from sight.

The remaining Merdianites were left in an awkward silence. Each brooded over the news that had been brought to them. They were about to go into battle, and Kandrakar had not sent the guardians to aid them. Rather, it seemed they had been sent to steal something that could help them.

"I'll go inspect the ranks," Vathek said breaking the silence, "Elyon, I suggest you come as well. It encourages the men to see you with us."

Elyon hesitated and glanced at Caleb, but conceded as she followed the blue giant from the tent.

Left alone, Wic looked at Caleb. He was shocked to see that the taller boy was avoiding his gaze.

"Caleb," he ventured, "Is something the matter? You left so sudden--"

"Do you like her?" Caleb cut him off.

Wic was taken back, but he suddenly realized what was going on. Inwardly, he cursed himself for his carelessness. He knew this moment would come if he didn't banish his feelings for the young Queen, and now it appeared he had failed.

"Does it show that much?" Wic finally answered after a long pause.

Caleb turned and gave his shorter friend a look of disgust, "I trusted you by telling you how I felt and now you're moving in when I'm unaware? And you called yourself my friend."

Wic's guilt was quickly replaced by a flash of anger at Caleb's verbal attack.

"You never made a move, you know," he retorted, "You talk like she's your property, but she's not. She's a girl, and she doesn't belong to either you or me. Even if the two of you were together she wouldn't belong to you."

Caleb took and angry step towards the blonde-haired boy, "How dare you. She didn't even know you before a few weeks ago."

"She's known me longer than she's known you," Wic paused breathing heavily, "You know what? This is ridiculous. She hasn't expressed feelings for either one of us. For all we know she thinks of us as nothing more than her friends, and whether she ever does choose me or you is for her to decide."

"That's right," Caleb breathed, "She'll decide."

He uttered the last phrase as almost and oath or a challenge, and the meaning of it did not escape the other boy's attention.

"That's fine with me!"

And with that the ex-rebel and Keeper of the Tear stormed off in opposite directions.

**As promised, this one is slightly longer. I hope each update will get longer and go up faster.   
**

** As alwasys, thank you for the support and reviews.**


	9. Battle of Hearts and Swords

A dull gloom seemed to set over the Meridian encampment as the army prepared itself for the night. Every soldier seemed tense, and if one looked into another's eyes he could see the same cold fear looking back at him. No one spoke much, and when they did it was with eyes adverted down at the ground, pretending to be immensely interested in their shoes.

Even Elyon's presence did little to raise the spirits. As usual, the men we happy to see their queen with them, but they could tell she was greatly distressed. Her smiles were faint and her words of encouragement seemed distracted.

Rumors were circulating around the camp. Some were whispering the guardians of Kandrakar were not coming to help in the battle. For some odd reason, it seemed as if Meridian was being abandoned to its fate. Others said that there was distention among the officers, and indeed, it seemed as if Caleb and Wic were on edge around each other.

Elyon was thinking all of this over in her tent with door flap pulled back so she could see outside as she sat at a desk littered with several pieces of paper. Reports, maps, and letters lay ignored as she gazed out at the setting sun.

Tomorrow the battle would take place, and it didn't look good. No one had any idea just how many sharvaks were actually out there, and everyone was praying five thousand troops would be enough to defeat the beasts. Word had been sent to her parents, both leading officers in the army, they were busy around the countryside rallying the full army. Again, for the hundredth time that day, Elyon wished the two of them were there with her.

To top it all off, the Guardians had again been forced to go back home for the night. No could say if the Oracle would permit them to return, but the girls promised to be there tomorrow, with or without his consent. Something was definitely going on behind the scenes in Kandrakar.

However, all this aside, the young queen was troubled by something else. What had happened between Caleb and Wic? It was obvious the two were on edge around each other, and the rumors of a fight between them seemed to be true.

What had they fought about? Caleb had started acting strange when they were at the village earlier that day, and she had thought it to be anger at the brutality of the sharvak attack. Now it seemed as if there was something else going on. Didn't the two of them realize their attitudes were effecting the soldiers? Didn't they know they all could be dead tomorrow?

She shuddered and tried to push the last thought aside. She shivered and knew it had nothing to do with the falling temperature as the light waned. She was scared. Scared of what tomorrow held. Scared of watching her people die. Scared of being so alone in the middle of this crisis. And scared of losing the two people, she suddenly realized, she cared the most about.

Right then, she realized the two boys meant something to her much more than mere friendship. She knew she had been trying to deny these feelings for the passed few months, but now on the night before the battle, she knew she couldn't lie to her heart.

A soft groan escaped her lips. How could she let this happen? How could she love both of them? Her best friends, her only friends here on Meridian, especially when her feelings were unrequited. _I've really made a mess of things._

_How could they ever understand how I feel? And even if they did, they would never feel the same way. I'm just a friend and a queen to them. And a weak one at that._

Frustrated with her confusing thoughts, she got up from her desk and walked outside. The cool, crisp evening air greeted her. Perhaps if she took a walk she could clear her head. The sun had now set, and the the camp was shrouded in the dark of night.

Passing the guards she weaved her way between the many tents as she headed for the small hill in the center of the camp. There, she could have some privacy, for she already felt the weight of her thoughts bringing a burning to the corners of her eyes. _I will not let anyone see me cry. I won't let them see how weak I am._

It only took a matter of minutes to reach the hill, and her head swam with thoughts as she climbed the short distance to the top. Turning her back on the small fire in the middle of the hilltop, she looked out over the encampment. The orange glow of hundreds of cooking fires became blurred as the tears finally broke free and streamed down her cheeks. War, death, love, how could one girl be expected to shoulder such burdens alone?

_But I must. I'm not just a girl. I'm a queen._ The stress of the past months seemed to weigh down on her now stronger than ever, and she struggled not to sob.

"Elyon?"

The blond girl held her breath. No one could find her crying here. She willed the speaker to go away.

"Elyon, what are you doing out here? I thought you'd be trying get some sleep by now."

She recognized the voice now, and she felt her heart throb with anguish. Him here now. She didn't know if she wanted to see either one of them at the moment. She still had to decide what to do with her feelings.

Yet, at the same time, she wanted his company. Someone to talk to, to share her burdens with.

"Although, I can't imagine how we're supposed to get any sleep tonight," he continued talking to her back, "Not with--"

He stopped mid-sentence as she turned to face him, her cheeks gleaming white with moisture in the faint moonlight.

"Elyon, what's wrong," Wic asked concern etched in his features. He was at her side in a second, but seemed unsure as to what to do, "Why don't you come have a seat over by the fire?"

The girl hesitated. She wouldn't let any of her soldiers see her like this.

"It's alright," Wic said as if reading her thoughts, "It's just me up here. I offered to take the watch."

Greatfully, the young queen allowed herself to be led over to the fireside. Wic had a bedroll set out next to a large log, and Elyon sat down on the padding facing the fire with her back against the log.

Wic sat down beside her and still seemed unsure what to do. Then as if realizing her need for comfort, he put his arm around her and pulled her against him. With that simple touch, Elyon knew it was safe to let her tension and confusion let itself out. She laid her head against his chest, and with Wic as her anchor, she allowed herself to break down and silently sob.

Wic didn't say anything as she cried. He simply held her tightly and wished there was something more he could do. The two of them stayed like that for several, long minutes as the fire cast dancing shadows across their features.

Finally the shaking of the young girl's shoulders subsided, but still no one spoke. Elyon lay with her head against Wic's chest and looked into the flames. She delighted in the moment. A mere instant to not shoulder everything by herself or bottle everything up inside. Just to be able to cry on someone's shoulder like a normal girl felt amazing.

_Being this close to Wic__isn't too bad either._ She felt her damp cheeks flush at the thought, but not enough to pull away.

"What did you and Caleb fight about?" Elyon finally broke the silence, and she felt the boy tense at the unexpected question.

"Is that what made you upset?" came the gradual reply.

"Partly," she admitted, "but you didn't answer my question."

She reluctantly pulled herself free from his arm and sat up to better see his face. Wic was looking away so his face was cast in shadow, and she couldn't properly see his features.

"It's nothing," he said with a slight edge, "You shouldn't let it bother you."

Elyon sighed, "You shouldn't fight, no matter what it is. The soldiers have noticed and it seems to be adding to their fear. And tomorrow, we might never see each--"

"Don't say that," Wic cut in, his voice now more subdued, and Elyon realized he had been thinking the same thing.

There was another moment of silence until Wic finally turned to face the blond girl next to him.

"You're not alone, Elyon."

This time it was her turn to be surprised by the unexpected statement.

"What do you mean?" she inquired.

"I notice you bottle everything up. You think since you're the queen you have to shoulder everything by yourself."

"But I do," she countered, "I know what is expected of me, and I won't run away from my duties...even though I'm too weak of a queen to do them properly."

Now she was the one looking away, pretending to play with a frayed thread in her garments.

Wic looked at hard at the girl sitting next to him, "You're not weak, Elyon."

The young queen opened her mouth to protest but he cut off the words.

"Some day I hope you understand that. But until you do, you're not alone. I'll always be here for you, and you'll always have my shoulder to cry on."

In that moment Elyon flashed back to a memory several months before with Caleb on the balcony on the morning of her birthday. Now, here by the fireside Wic was saying the words she had so badly wanted to hear.

For a second her worries were forgotten and a smile crept across her face. She looked back at her friend and longed to lean forward and kiss him, but she settled with a heartfelt hug.

"Thank you, Wic," she said to his chest, "You have no idea how much that means to me."

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Phobos stood on a jagged balcony looking out from his twisted citadel. It was daylight on this side of metamoore, and he knew his sister and the soldiers of Meridian would be just now trying to get some sleep in preparation for the coming battle.

The wicked prince could barely contain his excitement and impatience. Finally, after being banished for so long, he would make the first strike against his enemies. They would pay for their deeds, and soon they would all despair and know that Phobos could never be defeated.

Dark energy crackled from his clenched fists and several of the palace slaves cowered farther away from his presence.

The last piece of this phase of his plan had just been set in place. An army of screechers, winged bat-like creatures, had just left with his orders. These normally dull monstrosities made up for their lack of intelligence with a hunger for destruction.

If they flew all day they would arrive at the battle when the Merdianites had already engaged Bel'ac and his sharvaks. Phobos chuckled to himself as he imagined the mayhem that would ensue with the surprise attack from the sky. And amid the chaos, a group a screechers would carry out his specialized orders.

Wic Wislow and the secret he carried around his neck was a key to his master plan. Phobos had hoped the boy would seek his mother out sooner and fall into the dark prince's trap. However, he could no longer wait for the Keeper of the Tear to find him of his own accord.

He had instructed the screechers to capture and bring the blond haired one who commanded much power. Simple orders even for the the dim witted creatures.

With Meridian's royal army decimated from the battle and deprived of the Tear's keeper, all would know the beginnings of despair. _But that will be just the beginning._ Phobos laughed to himself, the vile sound carrying on the wind and paralyzing all who heard with terror.

_Yes, that will be just the beginning._

Hundreds of miles away Elyon, now back in her tent, shivered and rolled over in her sleep.

And even farther away, in the halls of Kandrakar, the Oracle's eyes snapped open from his meditation as the elements cried out in warning and fear. He too felt a shiver creep its way up his spine.

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Caleb sat astride his chestnut red horse as he surveyed the activity in front of him. The morning sun glistened off polished armor and steel weapons. Nearly five thousand soldiers were preparing to march.

The largest standing army in all of Metamoore, the Meridian royal army was certainly a site to behold in its full might. And even now Elyon's parents were rallying the rest of non-regular soldiers scattered around the small nation. At times like these, Caleb felt confident the battle would result in a Meridian victory.

"Commander Caleb," a large blue Meridianite called as he approached on a nearly entirely black steed. Immediately Caleb recognized the rider as a man who had served under him during the rebellion against Phobos. The black horse he rode labeled him as scout.

"Report, Tanneth," Caleb said.

The Meridianite grinned at the fact that Caleb had remembered his name but quickly became serious as he gave his report, "We've spotted the sharvaks, sir. A large pack of them about four miles to our north-east."

"How many?"

"About five hundred by my guess. They look like they're just sitting there in the open waiting for us."

"Well, we better not keep them waiting," Caleb kept his voice calm even though he was feeling the first signs of pre-battle anxieties, "Inform the other commanders that we'll be moving out soon. I'll inform Queen Elyon."

"Yes, sir," Tanneth placed his fist to his opposite shoulder in salute before riding off.

Caleb set his horse into a gallop as he crossed in front of the forming lines of soldiers to where Elyon, on her pure white mare, waited with her royal guard at the front and center of the formation. Soldiers snapped to attention as he passed, and some even called out.

_With men like these, our victory is assured_. Caleb allowed himself a smile.

"Caleb," Elyon greeted as he rode up, "Is there any word yet?"

The ex-rebel reigned in his steed and quickly relayed what the scout had just informed him.

Elyon's brow furrowed slightly at the news, "They're just waiting for us?"

"That's the report, my Queen," Caleb replied, "We know somebody is leading them, so it's not that odd."

"I don't like the sound of it," the queen said warily, "If they have a leader, he should know that five hundred against five thousand is no match for him. We'll have ten men for each one of his sharvaks," she brushed stray straw-colored strand of hair out of her face before finishing, "And the Guardians haven't arrived yet."

Caleb paused before answering. She was right on all counts. It was in Elyon's nature to be cautious, especially when it involved the lives of her people, but right now he felt confident they should make the first move. He knew if they didn't strike now the beasts would have the chance to out maneuver and ambush them later.

"You're right," he said gently almost reaching over to put his hand over hers before he remembered there were many eyes watching. "However, I feel we should attack now, before they have any more chance to prepare or attack another village."

She smiled at him and was inwardly thankful she had people such as him she knew she could trust. After all, he had led a rebellion against Phobos for years while she was shopping and spending time with her friends in Heatherfield.

She lowered her voice to a near whisper so the sound wouldn't carry, "I'm happy you're here with me, Caleb."

Caleb was slightly taken aback. What Elyon said was not odd in itself, but there was something different in her eyes today as she looked at him.

_It must be my imagination. _ But still he wondered.

Finally me managed to mumble, "Yes, my Queen," and was again surprised at what he thought looked like disappointment in her eyes at the answer.

"Ah, here comes Wic and Vathek," Elyon's statement pulled Caleb away from his thoughts and he looked up to see the two approaching. Each also rode the officer's chestnut red horses.

"The troops are ready, my Queen," Vathek said, "We only await your orders to march."

"Are you ready, Wic?" Elyon asked gently. She knew this would be the first real battle he had ever experienced.

Wic seemed to stiffen in his saddle as his eyes briefly flashed over to Caleb, who had stiffened as well when the other boy had approached.

"Yes, my Queen," he said shortly.

Neither of the two boys caught the the nearly inaudible sigh that escaped the lips of the sandy haired girl. It seemed to her as if the previous night was forgotten, and she was again alone as the Queen of Meridian.

"Give the order," she said finally, "We'll march to meet them."

"Yes, my Queen," three voices echoed in unison, and this time it was Elyon who didn't catch the hard look that passed between Caleb and Wic before they rode off in opposite directions."

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The Guardians arrived in Kandrakar and were surprised to find the Oracle and his advisors waiting for them.

"Guardians," the Oracle said immediately, "I cannot allow you to proceed on to Meridian."

"Why not?" Cornelia snapped, ignoring the restraining hand Will placed on her shoulder, "We have friends there that need our help."

"Indeed," the Oracle replied, "I believe the battle is going to start soon. The Meridian army is already marching to meet the sharvaks."

There was an audible gasp from the Guardians and Will took a step towards the three overseers of Kandrakar, "If you hope to stop us from going, you'd better give us a good reason right now."

"Why have you been trying to keep us away from our friends?" Taranee demanded.

"Grandma, what's going on?" Hay Lin beseeched.

The Oracle paused and let out a weary sigh, "Very well. I will tell you. Something very big is going on in Metamoore. Something bigger than this mere bout with the sharvaks. Something or someone has clouded our eyes from seeing beneath the surface."

There was another pause as the Oracle looked each of the five girls in the eyes before continuing.

"And it is time you know the truth about your friend Wic Wislow and the danger he poses to the cosmos."

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They could hear the creatures before they crested the small hill and were able to see them. A writhing mass of green scaled beasts, snapping and growling at each other, lay in the valley below.

The area had several rolling hills forming natural high ground and valleys for miles around. The four miles to meet the beasts had been tense. The Meridianites had expected to see the sharvaks at nearly every hill they crossed.

Nerves were now tight as everyone realized they had arrived at their destination.

"I don't see anyone who could be leading them," Elyon whispered, her voice strangely caught in here throat. She remembered back to when they had fought with just four of these beasts a few months prior. Now nearly five hundred lay before them.

"He'll be there somewhere," Caleb said, "If he wasn't here, those things would either be running or attacking us by now. Probably both."

"Elyon," Wic said calming his charger with scratch between the ears, "maybe you should stay back. We can--"

"No," Elyon cut him off. Her voice was now firm, "I won't sit in the back while my people fight for our lives. What good is being the Light of Meridian if I can't use my power to help my people?"

Caleb looked as if he wanted to protest, but the tone in the young queen's voice left no room for argument, and he would never disobey one of her orders. The two boys glanced at each other and shared the same concerned look. Momentarily united again in their concern.

Both looked as if they wanted to say something to the other. There were no guarantees that either of them would come out alive. Each was prepared to give his life for the girl that sat between them.

However, both were stubborn and the moment to reconcile was lost as Vathek galloped up on his own red charger.

"We are ready my queen," the blue giant said, "We only await your word."

Elyon gave one last glance around. She took in the site of her soldiers in their polished steel. Their faces fearful but determined. She saw the two boys on either side of her. One older, taller, the wind blowing through his dark brown hair, looking at her with devotion and determination. The other slightly shorter and younger, his deep blue eyes searching hers offering support and the same steadfast determination. She knew each would never leave her side.

She wanted to say something to them, but what? How could she tell them she was in love with both of them? That she would sooner die than let one of them give his life for her.

She gave one last hopeful look for the Guardians, but still, they were absent.

"Sound the charge," she said at last, "and good luck to you, Vathek."

Vathek clasped his fist to his shoulder, "And to you, Queen Elyon," and he turned his horse and galloped back to his postion.

A loud, sharp blast of horn followed by several shorter blast sounded nearby. The call was quickly echoed by many others as the charge was sounded.

A unified shout erupted from the men of Merdian, and with their Queen and beloved leaders, they broke into a run down sloping hill to meet the beasts below.

The shout was answered by a roar as the sharvaks also broke into a run. Saliva flailing from their open jaws and bloodlust in their eyes, the scaled beasts covered twice as much ground as their human adversaries.

The gap separating the two armies wilted to nothing in almost an instant, and there was a crash accompanied by howls from both beast and man as they met.

Immediately several of the sharvaks, being almost three times the size of a normal man broke through the front line and chaos ensued. There was no way the humans could hold a line against so powerful and fast an opponent, and the battle quickly broke down into several scattered skirmishes as groups of men engaged the beasts.

Everywhere Elyon looked there was madness. She saw several soldiers run a sharvak through with their spears, while a few feet away another of the beasts slashed and ripped through his attackers.

Caleb charged forward as one of the creatures broke through several more lines of soldiers. His expert skill with his blade landed five quick strikes and the dragon-lizard lay still.

"Come on, Wic," Elyon cried as pressed her white mare into a charge, "Let's teach them a lesson."

The sandy haired girl's expression was hard and tight with concentration. Beams of white energy erupted from her hands and fingers and lept hungrily for the attacking monsters. The crown of light on her head seemed to glow and crackle with pure energy, and all around her, the soldiers of Meridian fought with renewed vigor.

Wic too, had sprung into action. The Tear of Meridian was ablaze and hovered around his neck. His movements were quicker and his sword moved as if in a blur. Green scales and hot blood filled the air as his would-be assailants fell before him.

In moments it was clear the Merdianites were pushing the beasts back. Their angry roars could be heard echoing off the valley walls. In the fray, Wic caught Caleb's eye and the two shared a triumphant grin. They were winning. Meridian would be safe once again.

Suddenly, a horn sounded from the left flank, and both boys looked to see the cause for alarm. On the hilltop to their left, several hundred more sharvaks had just come into view over the crest. In the midst of them, a tall green skinned figure with red scales over his eyes, sat astride one of the beasts as if it were some horrendous war horse.

Even from the distance, Wic could see a wicked grin spread across his face, and with a causal wave of his hand he rode with the two hundred beasts down upon Meridian's unprotected flank. Orange beams of devastation speared from his eyes as the soldiers fell away.

"It's an annihilator! It's their leader!" Caleb shouted as he rushed towards the new threat, "To me, soldiers of Meridian! Do not let these beasts defeat you!"

The soldiers rallied to Caleb's call, and Wic found himself standing shoulder to shoulder with his friend. The two of them looked out from the front of the newly formed line at the charging wave of scales.

"Look, Caleb," Wic said without taking his eyes off the beasts, "I'm sorry--"

"Me too," Caleb cut him off, "Let's get out of this alive, and we'll talk to Elyon. Whatever her decision is, we'll never fight over her gain."

"Sounds good," Wic replied with a grin and he raised his blade to the position Caleb had taught him what seemed like only yesterday.

And then the sharvaks were upon them. Caleb lept and delivered a solid kick to the annihilator atop the lead lizard. Both Caleb and Bel'ac tumbled to the ground and out of view.

Wic tried to run to his friend's aid, but the push of the battle was carrying him farther away.

"No," the Keeper of the Tear whispered to himself as his sword cut through a sharvak and a beam of white light from his free hand blasted into another.

He could feel anger and impatience welling up within him. He had to get to Caleb. He wouldn't let these beasts rob him of his friend. And unnoticed to him, the Tear hovering around his neck changed slightly.

- - -

Elyon heard the warning horn as well, and saw as Wic and Caleb reformed the Meridian line to meet the new threat. However, the surprise ambush was again turning the tide of the battle. The retreating sharvaks now turned and fought with renewed savagery.

Everywhere she looked she saw death. Sharvak and Merdian blood flowed together and drenched the battlefield. Where where Caleb and Wic? She could no longer see either of them in the fray.

Then she heard something else above the sounds of the raging battle. A screeching cry sounded from above. The Queen looked up and her heart sank.

The sky was blacked and as several hundred large bat-like creatures swooped in from the clouds. Elyon recognized them as Screechers. Dark, dim-witted monsters, rarely seen in this large of numbers.

Hope began to diminish within her heart.

"Don't ever let me see you with that kind of face again," a voice called from her side.

Elyon looked and nearly fell from her horse. Tears of gratitude and joy burned the corners of her eyes. Finally they had come. They had made it. The Guardians of Kandrakar smiled back at the Queen of Meridian.

"Hay Lin and Taranee," Will called immediately taking charge, "We'll take care of those flying things. We'll need you're help too Elyon. Cornelia and Irma, help wherever you can with the sharvaks."

The Guardians chimed their acknowledgment and quickly sprang into action. Large gusts of wind began billowing across the battlefield as Hay Lin took flight and sent Screechers careening out of control.

Almost immediately, angry orange flames and purple beams of energy lept into the air as Taranee and Will also concentrated their attack on the flying creatures.

Elyon felt the ground begin to tremble, and she knew that somewhere Cornelia was making the sharvaks pay for their attack on her friends. And even as she was thinking this a geyser of water erupted from ground, blasting several beasts into the air.

Once again, Elyon dared to hope. Perhaps they would prevail. Perhaps they would survive this chaos. However, as she looked around she saw the raging battle could still go either way. The sharvaks would fight to the last beast, and she still couldn't find Caleb or Wic. What had happened to them?

Desperation began to well up within her. She couldn't lose them. She wouldn't lose them. She had to end this.

Suddenly, she felt that burst of power that always seemed to find her in her time of deepest need. Thankfully, the Light of Meridian embraced the pure power as it welled up within.

Without realizing it, she had levitated off her frightened mare and brilliant white light began to envelope her body. It looked as if the Crown of Light was a dancing rainbow of colors in her sandy blond hair.

All at once, the energy inside, climaxed and pure white energy erupted from her body in every direction, seeking Screechers and Sharvaks alike.

Below, the young queen didn't even hear the cries of joy and victory from her soldiers as she concentrated on her task.

- - -

Caleb faced off with Bel'ac as the two circled, each ignoring everything else going on around them.

"Traitor," Bel'ac spat, "I will deliver your head to my master."

"You're master?" Caleb said concealing his surprise, "Who do you serve now, whisperer?"

"You are a whisperer as well," the annihilator taunted, "One without loyalties."

"Phobos was the one without loyalties," Caleb replied angrily, "He betrayed his people and tried to assassinate his sister."

"Perhaps," Bel'ac agreed slyly, "But it doesn't change the fact that you will die here."

Orange energy erupted from the annihilator's eyes, but Caleb nimbly tumbled aside. He brought his sword up and charged. However his swing was dodged with surprising speed.

Bel'ac laughed, "I am the last of the annihilators. My master has rewarded me and made me stronger!"

Caleb ignored the banter and swung again. This too was deftly dodged, and followed by a blast of orange energy, which was accompanied by a cry of pain from Caleb.

The boy fell to the ground clutching his singed arm, and Bel'ac roared with triumph as he stalked over to his groaning foe.

"A traitor is no match for the real thing," the whisperer announced as he prepared for the killing blow, "Your head is min--"

The words ended abruptly as Caleb rose from the ground and drove his blade through Bel'ac's chest. Surprise and anger filled the annihilator's eyes as he realized what had happened.

"You were too fast to land a hit under normal means," Caleb said calmly ignoring his burned arm, "This seemed like the best way to shut you up."

A soft gurgle escaped Bel'ac's mouth, then he fell backwards and lay still. At that moment, Wic rushed up to his friend's side.

"Caleb," he panted, "Are you okay--"

His words were cut off as a brilliant white light illuminated the battlefield. Both boys looked up to the source of the light and saw Elyon levitating several feet above the ground. All around men cheered as pure white beams intercepted their opponents, and cut them down.

"Wow," Wic almost wordlessly breathed.

- - -

A group of five Screchers hung back slightly from the battle and watched intently as it unfolded. They had special instructions, and they knew the price of failure.

Two of them them screeched with surprise as the brilliant white light exploded from the center of the chaos and began to cut down their comrades. Upon closer inspection their dull minds registered that the light emitted from a person. A person with blond hair.

This must be the one their master had instructed them to capture, for she certainly commanded great power.

Silently and swiftly they descended.

- - -

Wic's amazement quickly turned to apprehension as he spotted the group of Screechers descending towards Elyon's turned back.

"Caleb," he said pointing, but the other boy had seen them too.

"Elyon!" the older boy shouted in warning, "Behind you!"

But the floating girl was beyond hearing as she concentrated on directing her attack on her on the beasts below and above.

Wic felt a sickening feeling build up within his stomach. She didn't see them. He had to do something. Before he realized what he was doing, he was moving. His feet moving of their own accord. He had to stop them.

But he was too late. The Screechers were upon the young girl in seconds. Their clawed hands grasping tightly around her slender wrists. Her concentration was immediately broken, and her head slumped forward as she slowly snapped back to reality. With that movement the Crown of Light tumbled from her head and fell as if in slow motion to the ground below. The combined shock of the her concentration being snapped and the power drain from loss of her crown, proved too much, and the young queen immediately fainted.

However, they didn't attack. Instead, they began moving away with the limp girl in tow.

"No," Wic whispered. They wouldn't take her. He wouldn't let them. A searing pain gripped his chest as the Tear of Meridian turned a deep shade of crimson.

Anger and rage exploded from within him, and he directed all his hate at the escaping Screechers. Substance of the darkest black, erupted from his out stretched hands and raced towards the creatures. He would make them pay for daring to lay a clawed finger on her.

The Screechers saw the attack coming and crowed in fear. However, their fear of the young boy below was nothing compared to the fear of their master. The three who were not holding Elyon, turned and hurled their bodies in front of the approaching shadow.

With a horrible cry, all three vanish from sight. Made to endure unimaginable agony before they died. However, they had not died in vain, as the the remaining two carried the Light of Meridian out of range and out of sight.

"No!" Wic cried, anguish exploding in his heart. The boy fell to his knees as a shockwave of black shadows raced out from him.

The Meridian soldiers the shadow encountered felt a bone chilling cold while the surviving sharvaks simply fell dead. Wic's eyes were blurred as he watched the spot where the Screechers had disappeared and then everything went black.

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Author's Notes: I've added a few pictures into my profile. If you've ever wondered what sharvaks or annihilators actually look like, feel free to check it out.


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